Choices
by Aro
Summary: -COMPLETE- “Tryin’ to kill her boyfriend ain’t exactly goin’ to make her like you any more than she does now.” “I’m saving her.” “Who do you think you are? Jesus? Napoleon? Hitler? Superman?”
1. Remylicious 1

            --

            **Disclaimer**: I don't own X-Men: Evolution.

                                                                                                **A/N**: Sequel to Changes. Takes place about three or four years later. shrugs I have a few ideas (good and _bad_ :P) for this. This chapter is just to give you an idea of what's been happening and stuff.

Due to the fact in Evo we're not given Pyro's real name and that he's referred to as John in the movies, I'm going to type out John. The St. doesn't suit him.

            --

            "Ugh, get away from me!" A wail was heard, followed by a splash.

            Rogue had been sitting on the edge of the in ground pool, her feet up to her calves were dipped into the water. She was fully clothed, wearing black pants, made out of a thin material, rolled up to her knees and a tank top under a zipper up purple sweatshirt. Pyro came up behind her, tauntingly poking her back and shoulders. With an aggravated sigh, she grabbed his arm and pulled him forward into the pool.

            Remy, who was sitting several feet away in a lawn chair, smirked. _That's my Rogue. _He said to himself as Pyro came up for air. He wiggled his brows at Remy, who soon got the message. The Cajun crept up off the chair and sneaked up behind Rogue. He then proceeded to push her forward into the pool.

            "Remy LeBeau, you are _so_ dead!" Rogue yelled at him as she shot up in the water, her surprised eyes wide the second she saw him standing there.

            "Ah, ah, ah." He waved his finger at her, "But I'm not wet now, am I?"

            "You will be, man!" A loud bamf was heard, a certain mutant who spoke German wrapped his tail around Remy's wrist and before the Cajun could respond, another bamf was heard and before Remy knew it, he was several feet above the water. His eyes went wide and his arms went waving as he fell into the water.

                   Rogue recoiled in the water as she laughed and wrapped her arm around her soaked body. When her adoring boyfriend came up, sputtering, she immediately jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist. She gripped his shoulders, "What's the matter, Cajun? Can't take a little water?" She crossed her feet at the ankles so she'd have a better grip if he tried to throw her off him.

                   "I'm not in the mood for this." Remy admonished, shaking his head back and forth rapidly.

                   Pyro flinched as he was pelted with all the drips of water Remy was shedding from his hair. "Down boy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dog treat. He waved it in front of Remy's face. Water dripped from his hand and the treat, not making it appear any better.

                   "John, we don't have a dog. Why would you have that?" Remy asked cocking a brow as Pyro laughed manically and just threw the dog treat behind his shoulder.

                   "No comment!" John laughed nervously, glancing over at Rhane who was sitting on a towel, talking to Roberto. "Is that the phone ringing? I better go answer it." He swam over to the side of the pool, and slowly pulled himself out. Amara, Jubilee and Rhane all glanced over at him, but the reason for looking at him might've been from the glare they got when the sun reflected off Pyro's brightly colored hair.

                   "It's scary how some things never change." Rogue commented, unwrapping her legs from around his waist. "With all this water weight, you're goin' to have to carry me inside." She muttered bitterly, stripping off her sweatshirt.

                   "Or you can fly." It had been the Professor who suggested that Rogue opened the latent powers she had absorbed three years earlier. She was constantly urged to withdrawal the powers, for now the Professor felt she could handle it.

                   "Or you can go give the five bucks back to the Prof cause I ain't usin' any powers until I feel comfortable an' the need to." The fiery Southern belle shot back, her brows cocked at an angle that made her almost look dangerous.

                   Remy sarcastically saluted her, "Yes Rogue." He watched her closely as she walked up the small metal ladder in the pool and stepped onto the concrete. She glanced behind her shoulder at him; petals of water cascaded down her form. Rogue turned slightly, pointing a finger at him. She made a soft clicking noise with her tongue.

                   "That's ma'am to _you_." She then proceeded to walk away, in the direction of the back door leading into the institute, her hips swaying back and forth, taunting him.

                   Remy just licked his lips as he lowered himself back into the water. He floated there for a while, his mind in a deep thought. After sometime, he looked around to see everyone had gone in; it was nearing dinnertime. When his feet settled to the bottom of the pool, they landed on something small but chunky. Holding his breath, he reached down into the water and picked it up. He stared down at the brown object in his hand and rolled his eyes; it was the dog biscuit. _Don't even want to think about why that boy carries 'em around with him in a dog-less mansion. _

_                   --_

                   Things had changed at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. The DR sessions had, if it were possible, gotten harder and nearly everyday there were strategic lessons in a classroom.

                   There was no Scott to nitpick at the students when they were late. There was no Jean.. to.. do whatever she did, and there was no Kitty to food poison anyone.

                   How sad.

                   Dinner at the institute, however, was still has hectic as ever. With everyone grabbing at the food, talking to their neighbors, yelling over to someone down at the opposite side of the table.

                   _Sknict _

"Want to remove your hand from my sausage before I remove it for you, bub?" Rogue looked over to see Pyro's hand on Logan's plate and Logan's claw at Pyro's hand.

                   John laughed nervously, "I was just makin' sure it was warm for ya, mate."

                   "With your gloves on?" Growl, growl. Snort, snort. Whiff, whiff. Glare.

                   "C'mon Wolvie, give me a break. We both know I'm lyin'." A few people chuckled softly, and a few others rolled their eyes. Wolverine stood up, which made Pyro fall off the side of his seat, his eyes wide with fear, and the short Canadian with a not-so-short temper picked up his plate and moved. The Professor looked proud; his brown eyes swelled with proud tears that Wolverine didn't make Pyro tomorrow night's dinner. Not that the mutants at Xavier's were cannibals or anything. 

                   Rogue just stared down at her plate and self-consciously tucked damp strands of hair behind her ears. It wasn't until she felt someone kick her left shin she looked up.

                   Remy sat across from her, smirking as he took a bite out of his sausage and winked at her. How attractive. Good thing he chewed quietly with his mouth closed because the image of the Cajun winking while little processed meat particles spewed from his mouth wouldn't be very eye-catching. Instead of kicking him back, Rogue just touched the side of his knee with the side of her foot and slowly moved upward. Remy choked on his bite of sausage, which made Rogue withdraw her foot.

                   "Don't forget to chew." Jubilee, who sat aside of him, laughed as she elbowed him. She apparently didn't know why Remy had sucked the whole piece of meat into his windpipe. She then slapped him on the back—hard.

                   Unfortunately, Remy continued to choke. He reached for his glass of water and took a sip, which didn't work since the piece of meat was lodged into his throat. He made a few odd noises, and much to his surprise, the meat went down.

                   "You all right?" Rogue asked as he went into a coughing fit.

                   "Fine." He wheezed, taking another sip from his water, "I'm fine."

                   "More than you'd like us to think." Jubilee stated, scratching the tip of her fork against a clear sport on her plate. He raised a brow at her, which made her dark cheeks actually pink up a bit.

                   "What's that supposed to mean?" Pyro asked, staring at his metal fork, which he was holding a few inches from his eyes. Piotr reached over and actually took the fork from him and rested it on his plate.

                   "I'm not sure."

                   "You're not sure?"

                   "I'm not _sure_. Are you?"

                   Pyro cleared his throat; a confused look was planted on his face. "I'm not sure."

                   "Then that makes two of us." Jubilee declared, taking a long sip from her glass full of Pepsi.

                   "I finally got a new laptop today." Ray stated randomly, glaring at both Rogue and Remy.

                   "Cheers." Amara rolled her eyes, "Only took you over three years to put the pieces back together."

                   "I bought a new one." Ray said sharply as little electrical bolts shoot out from his ears. They really didn't, but it's a funny mental image, no?

                   "I told him he had to." Bobby muttered, icing up his drink because he was bored and had nothing else to do other than use his icing powers. "He was leaving scorch marks on my mouse."

                   No, believe me, you _don't_ want to know.

                   --

                   "You're lucky you're not forced to go to danger room sessions." Rogue mumbled to Remy as she hopped around on one foot, trying to get her combat boots on. Remy was sitting on her bed, amused.

                   "Don't hurt yourself." He chuckled to himself. _'Death by putting on boots.' _He observed, smirking at the sight. "I still go to the trainin' sessions."

                   "Not all of them." After getting her boots on, she faced her back up to him. "Now zip me up."

                   Remy zipped up the spandex body suit for her, and when he finished, he slapped her ass. "Go make poppa proud."

                   She whipped around, her hand slapped into place on her lower back. Rogue didn't say anything; she just raised a questionable brow at him.

                   Remy shrugged as she slowly made her way towards the door. "Rogue?" He called softly, his eyes meeting hers.

                   "Yeah?" She replied, her voice as soft as his had been. Rogue pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she waited for him to say something. He had a serious look on his face, so she was partly worried. "You all right?" She asked after a short term of silence where she stared at him and he stared off into space.

                   He snapped out of it. "Yeah." Remy walked over to her and kissed the side of her mouth. "You're goin' to be late for the session. I'll see you in a while."

                   Rogue just said 'yeah' as he walked past her and down the hall, into his own bedroom. As she walked in the direction of the danger room, adjusting her belt, she wondered what was up with him. It really didn't matter; she'd find out sooner or later.

                   --

                   "I'm goin' to kill him!" It took three X-Men to hold Rogue back from lynching a certain pyromaniac. It had been an innocent yet foolish mistake, leaving Rogue with a bump on her forehead.

                   "You could at least say you are sorry, John." Piotr pointed out, as his friend hid behind him. "Even if it was an accident. Although, I do not see how throwing your flame thrower at her was an accident."

                   "Professor Cleaner did say we should help her try to tap into her powers!"

                   "And you intended to do that by hurling heavy objects at her head?"

                   Pyro shrugged, peeking out from behind the Russian. "P.C. didn't say it had to be _helpful_ help."

                   Piotr sighed, taking a step to the side. "Let her at him."

                   Logan grunted. As much as he would like that, he wouldn't allow it. Well, he couldn't. The professor would have his head on a platter at dinner. Yes, _again_ with the cannibal references. "Colossus—" Logan had always been too manly to say his real name. "Take Rogue to Hank and have him give her ice. Tell 'im she didn't have a concussion. Johnny Boy, you're stayin' here with me for an extra lesson. I'm goin' to each you how to chuck things the right way."

                   Yes, he was serious.

                   --

                   Rogue had been given ice but on her way to her room, she slipped the bag into a vase containing flowers. Feeling a headache starting to form, she walked into her room to see it dark and empty. It was a Remy-less room. She closed the door behind her as she walked over to Remy's room and bingo—it was Remylicious—I mean, Remy was there.

                   Remy sat at the desk in his room. He was sitting at a desk, hunched over, writing something on paper. Instead of his room light being on, there was a small lamp on beside him and a fan on, several feet away. Instead of asking what he was doing, since it was obvious he was writing, she walked over and stood behind him.

                   "Who ya writin' to?" She asked softly, placing her hands on his shoulders. They felt oddly cold, but he didn't say anything.

                   "My father." He answered, hesitantly. "I'm writin' to my father." To him, the words sounded cold and unreal.

                   Rogue's brows arched up. "Y'know, Rem, if you don't get a response back in.."

                   "I don't have high hopes. He's my father. He'll either write back or he won't."

                   "What are you sayin'?"

                   "Just tellin' him what's been goin' on the past five years." When he felt Rogue's hands leave his shoulders, he glanced behind him. "This is goin' to take a while and I want to get it done tonight.."

                   "Say no more." Rogue kissed the back of his head as he went back to writing. "I'm goin' to go lay in your bed and watch your television if you don't mind." He didn't respond, which just put a smile on her face.

                   --

                   Hours later it neared two A.M. Rogue stirred in her sleep from the soft noises coming from the television. She sat up to see that she was still in her boyfriend's bedroom and that the fan was now facing her and, also, Remy was still at his desk.

                   "Rem?" She called groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "You're still not finished?"

                   "I'm just proof readin'." He mumbled with a yawn. "I'm almost done. Go back to sleep."

                   Rogue didn't bother to argue. She laid back down, allowing her body to sink down into the covers as she snuggled under the covers and into the pillow, which had Remy's faint lingering scent on it. Within a few seconds, she realized the dull throbbing pain in her forehead and groaned.

                   Remy, who wasn't finished proof reading, got up and walked over to her. He sat on the side of the bed. "You all right?" In the darkness, she could see the cloudy look in his eyes, burning with concern. He reached over and turned on the lap by her bed. "What happened?" Remy asked hovering above her, inspecting the bruised bump on her forehead.

                   "Your darling friend threw his flame thrower at me."

                   "John?" He seemed surprised by this.

                   "No, Santa Clause." She snapped, wincing at his feather light touch against the bump.

                   "I'm sorry." He softly kissed it, which just made her wince again. Oh well, it was the thought that counted, not the physical pain.

                   "It's not your fault unless you bought him Sally."

                   "Sally?" His trademark smirk returned as he twirled a ringlet of blonde hair between his index and middle finger. "Doesn't he have a blowup doll name Sally?"

                   "No, that's Erma. He named his flame thrower Sally." She corrected, feeling foolish of the knowledge.

                   "Want me to get you aspirin?" He asked after apologizing that he wasn't there to terminate John.

                   "Yeah, thanks." She muttered, closing her eyes as she rubbed her temples.

                   Remy left and returned with a glass of water and two aspirin minutes later. He set them on the nightstand next to her. He stood there, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her swallow the aspirin with the water. "Is the glass half empty or half full?  
He pondered.

                   Rogue stared at the now empty glass. "Are you nuts? There's no water. It's empty."

                   "Are you being literal?"

                   "Nope. I'm just statin' what I see." With a yawn, she set down the glass and laid back down. "You comin' to bed?"

                   He shook his head, "I'm just going to finish proof readin' then I'm goin' to put it in an envelope and mail it out first thing tomorrow." By the time he finished talking, Rogue was already asleep.

                   --

                   "Jean-Luc LeBeau." Rogue read off the envelope that Remy had handed her as he slipped on his trench coat. "No letter for Belladonna?"

                   "Like I really need her findin' out where we are." He mumbled, taking the letter away from her.

                   "Jean-Luc might tell her. Maybe he married her instead."

                   "You're not funny."

                   "Or what about Henry?"

                   "Henry is married to Mercy."

                   Rogue raised a brow at him; she was now suspicious. "And you would know that _how_?"

                   "Feelin'? I don't know. C'mon, let's go."

                   "If you're keepin' somethin' from me, I'm goin' to have your head."

                   "That's the bump on your head talkin'."

                   Rogue just stuck her tongue out at him as they walked outside. "Have you even seen Pyro this mornin'? I was goin' to snap his neck but I couldn't find 'im."

                   Remy shrugged, snaking his arm around her waist. "Nope, haven't seen him."

                   --

                   "Let me out of here!" Down a vacant hallway, a muffle voice was heard along with banging noises from a certain Australia who was screaming and pounding on the door from inside a cramped closet.

                   --

                   A few weeks later, Remy received the response to his letter in the mail.

                   --

                   That's all you get! For now.

                   Well? Did it suck? Probably. xD

                   I'll update sooner or later, my little people-nadians.


	2. Remylicious 2

                  --

                  "It's thin." Remy was sitting on the couch in the living room, holding up a closed envelope up to the light. He could make out words that were written in longhand. Rogue was seated next to him, reading a book.

                  "Just open it already." Rogue said, rolling her eyes as she flipped the page, her eyes barely skimming the last several pages. Remy had received the letter in the afternoon and it was now after dinner. "'Cause if you don't, I will."

                  "That's a felony. You can't open other people's mail." He stated, glancing at her sideways; waiting for any sudden movement.

                  "An' you're a thief. That's a felony too." Rogue shut the book, knowing he couldn't argue with that. When she looked over at him, she saw that he was staring at her.

                  "I _was_ a thief, Ro'." He corrected coldly, getting to his feet. "Is that how you see me? A thief?"

                  "Once a thief; always a thief." She said with a shrug; not knowing how much this offended him. She did, however, get an idea when he walked out of the room without saying another word to her. "Cranky li'l Cajun." She observed with a frustrated sigh as she quickly got to her feet and walked out of the room. As she walked down the hall, Remy nowhere in sight, she brushed past Piotr.

                  "Is something wrong, Rogue?"

                  "Yeah. My boyfriend has PMS." And with those words, she left a speechless Russian.

                  --

                  "I should just forget about it."

                  "Open it."

                  "I've gone all these years without him, I don't need him now."

                  "Open it." Rogue sat next to Remy on his bed. When he refused to open the door for her, she picked the lock open. He taught her how to do it and she used it again him. How nice.

                  "I will."

                  "Before you die from a brain hemorrhage caused by being hit in the head with a blunt object." Remy slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him.

                  He kissed the top of her head. "Like you are because of John?"

                  She rubbed her forehead, wincing from the memory. "I wouldn't look past it."

                  Remy just laughed as he dropped the letter and turned over to face Rogue. He stared deeply into her green eyes as he leaned in.

                  "Don't try to distract me. Open it." She set her hand on his shoulder but that didn't stop his lips from touching hers. Rogue laid back, Remy's lips never left hers. His hand moved to her hip while the other hand lost its way into her hair. Her body tensed up as he played with the hem of her shirt. His lips broke away from hers, but lingered just centimeters above her lips. "It's all right to get used to it, Ro'."

                  In the three years, give or take some days, Rogue had refused prolonged skin-to-skin contact. Every time they touch, a warning sign flashed in the back as her powers tried to penetrate a force field. Although they had come close to it many times, they **never** actually had _sex_ual intercourse.

                  Rogue strained her neck so that her lips were lightly touching his. "Stop stallin' an' open the damn letter." Remy just kissed her forehead as he stood up, off the bed, bent down, slid his arms under Rogue's form and picked her up. "What do you think you're doin'?"

                  "Gettin' rid of you." He answered, quite casually.

                  "That's not fair. I had a blow to the head an' you're tryin' to get rid of me."

                  "That was two weeks ago, Rogue."

                  "I'm still recoverin'." She pouted at him, which received a sigh as he got to the door. "An' no, I ain't openin' the door for ya." Remy then turned around, walked back over to the bed, and gently threw her down. It was more like a drop, not a throw, but whatever. The second her body hit the mattress, Rogue dashed for the letter. Remy was a second late in retrieving the letter. In a beat, Rogue grabbed it and stashed it in her shirt. "Either you read it or I read it—out loud."

                  "Give me the letter back, Rogue." He demanded in a stern voice. "I'm not afraid to go _in_ to retrieve it." Believe me; he wasn't.

                  Rogue, however, underestimated him and squealed as he lunged at her. He landed on top of her, their bodies pressed together tightly as Rogue struggled beneath him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, crossing tightly at the ankle.

                  He stared down at her, breathless. "Just give me the goddamn letter."

                  "Are you goin' to read it?"

                  "It's none of your business what I do." He stated sharply, causing her brows to rise. "Please just leave me alone for a few hours."

                  Rogue felt her heart sink. He was pleading. Remy LeBeau was pleading; He was pleading for her to leave him alone. Her legs felt numb as she uncrossed her ankles and let her body relax underneath him.

'

                  Remy sat up, saddling her. He then proceeded to reach into her shirt. He ran his naked palm against the smooth skin of her abdomen and grabbed the letter. With his eyes never leaving hers, he slowly slid his hand out.

                  "You trust me?" He asked, his voice low yet had a hidden hint of surprise. Hidden in the depth of her green eyes he saw permission for something he hadn't been asking for at that given moment. Dropping the envelope, he placed his hands at the hem of her shirt. Rogue nodded at him as she leaned forward, allowing him to pull her shirt up. Her arms rose up, allowing him to slip off the piece of clothing. He dropped the shirt on top of the letter as he dipped in, favoring a kiss from her angelic lips. As their lips met shyly, as if it were a first kiss, there came a loud knocking at Remy's bedroom door.

                  "_Fils de putain_." Remy cursed, biting down hard on his lower lip as he withdrew away from Rogue. He slid off her and the bed, and onto the ground. With heavy footsteps, he walked over to the door. "What the hell do you want?" He snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

                  "Housekeepin'!" Instantly, Remy knew it was John. He whipped open the door just a few inches.

                  "What do you want?" He asked obnoxiously; the scowl on his face didn't mask the aggravated expression on his face or his frustrated snapping.

                  Pyro arched his thick brows up in surprise. "Am I interruptin' somethin'?" He asked innocently, "Or are you still pissed off at me for tryin' to _fix_ Rogue?"

                  "There ain't nothin' wrong with 'er." Remy corrected sharply, mentally cursing to the demise of the pyromaniac. "Now, what do you want?"

                  "Oh! Colossus said you were in a cranky mood and I wanted to check it out for myself!"

                  Remy narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you done yet?"

                  "Yep!" He declared chirpily. "Now I can safely assume you're in a bad mood and I can report that to the other mutant-nadians of the mansion." Now, the Cajun's eyes shot daggers at the naive Australian. John took a step back. "I think I'll go now." He quickly zipped down the hallway like there was a sale on fireworks and lighters.

                  Remy shook his head as he turned around, only to be face to face with Rogue. Her shirt was back on and she was holding out the sealed envelope to him. "Read it, Rem." She said softly, reaching up on her tippy-toes to deliver a tender kiss on his lips. Rogue then gently patted his arm, stepped aside of him and exited the room.

                  Remy stood there, feeling speechless. With an exhausted sigh, he walked over to his bed and sat down, his legs practically collapsing under his weight. Hesitantly, he slid his thumb under the seal part of the envelope and slowly glided it along the glued down part.

                  --

                  Rogue was a deep sleeper. She could sleep through a thunder and lightning storm, a hurricane, a twister and everything in between. Not always was she a deep sleep, but she was also not a morning person. She especially didn't like getting woken up at midnight.

                  "Rogue?" Remy whispered, gently shaking the sleeping Southerner's shoulder.

                  "Five more minutes." She mumbled incoherently, burying her face into her pillow.

                  "Ro—"

                  "_I said five more minutes_!" Came her muffled reply.

                  Remy, despite how tired he felt, laughed. "Ro', It's one A.M."

                  "Then five more _hours_." She whined, gently lifting her head up from inside the pillow. "This better be important."

"I read the letter."

"Are you bullshittin' me?"

"Would I do that at one A.M.? I can't risk gettin' decapitated for no reason." He joked, sitting down at the bottom of her bed as she sat up.

"Funny." She mumbled with no enthusiasm as she ran her hand through her fringes so they wouldn't be in her face. Despite her, they fell right back into place. "What did it say?"

He shrugged, "Stuff."

"You came in here to tell me that the letter said _stuff_?" In a beat, Rogue laid back down. "Go away."     

Remy cleared his throat, "Actually, I needed to ask you something. How much do you miss the South?" A few seconds later, Rogue sat up, staring at him. Her face was expression.

"Why?" She inquired, rubbing her chin as she crossed her legs. "Do you? And don't lie 'cause I'll know if you do."

"How so?"

"Your left eye always twitches when you lie."

"Does not." Twitch, twitch.

Rogue just chuckled softly. "What's wrong?" She studied his face despite the darkness in the room.

"I want to visit back home." Rogue just nodded; she had figured that one out. "Jean-Luc said he misses me." He then stated in a low, stubborn voice like a child. That made Rogue laugh; he was acting as if she told him that she refused to go.

"I bet he does. Now, if ya let Rogue sleep for ten hours, we can leave as soon as you want."

"Whatever happened to five hours?"

"That's how we Mississippians negotiate." She laid back, stretching out her legs so that he fell off the end of the bed. "We get straight to the business."

Remy pursed his lips as got up and crawled to the empty space on the best next to her. "Really? I thought y'all went straight to your cousins." He set his hand on her hip, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Oh shut up. You're from the south too, y'know. Ya shouldn't be makin' any cousin jokes."

"Ah was jus' joshin' ya, _cherie_." Remy stated in a fake thick Southern accent but his Cajun accent still shined through. He sounded like a loser. Hah.

"Shut up." She repeated, closing her eyes. "I'm sleepin'."

"Jean-Luc said things change. He seemed like he changed in the letter. You know I ain't into stealin' no more so this'll be a quick visit I—where are you goin'?" He asked incredulously as Rogue stood up, grabbed her pillow and started walking towards the door.

"To _your_ room."

--

"Are you sure Jean-Luc wrote this?" Rogue asked, skimming over the letter. "He only swore four times. Doesn't sound like the potty mouth Jean-Luc we know." It was now about eight o'clock in the A.M. Remy wouldn't let Rogue sleep for long. "'I was surprised to hear from you, boy. I expected a letter like this over three years ago.' Oh yeah, this is from Jean-Luc. You cocky Cajuns you."

                  "It was weird tellin' him 'bout Irene and that I don't know what happened to 'er."

Rogue's eyes flashed with anger at the mention of Irene's name. "She's probably with Trask."

"She's somewhere with Mystique, most likely." Remy stated, his expression somber. "Somethin' was goin' on between those two." He sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry 'bout 'em Rogue."

"Yeah, right now my only enemy is Belladonna and Pyro." She made a face just at mentioning their names, "An' I ain't writin' a letter to Bella nor Pyro."

"C'mon, like you don't miss Bella."

"Not as much as you do. Like you don't think about her everytime you're kissin' me." Remy's eye began to twitch and he wasn't even lying.

"I can't believe you said that." Remy stated, his arm his hung around her shoulders dropped limply behind her. "I'm hurt."

"Poor baby." Rogue mumbled, her eyes skimming the letter once more.

"Rogue." Remy suddenly stated calmly. "I don't think I want you goin' back with me."

"Like hell I won't. You know I'll end up there in a few days, sayin' how you left me and our five children alone in an abandoned building back in Bayville."

"Yeah, I know you would."

"I have to be there to be your bodyguard." She stated, putting down the letter next to her as she stood up. "About our five children.." Rogue sat herself down in his lap, his arms immediately wrapping around her waist to steady her. "We're going to be twenty-four this year.."

"Yeah, we're goin' to be havin' our midlife crisis soon."

"I want to get married, Rem-Rem." Rogue said, although it almost sounded like she was pleading. "I want to start a family."

"So, who's this guy you're goin' to marry an' have kids with?"

As if on cue, Pyro barged into the room wearing his pajamas. Rogue exchanged glances with Remy.

"Not funny."

"Time for our danger session with Kruger!" Kruger was Wolverine's nickname for the day.

                  Rogue's brows arched up as she got to her feet. "You're goin' in your squirrel print pajamas?"

                  Pyro looked down and shrugged. "I thought Kruger might appreciate 'em."

                  "You know what happens when you play with fire.." Remy trailed off.

                  Pyro threw his arms up. "Puns! Here we go again with the bloody puns!" Mumbling obscenities, he wandered out of the room. Rogue slid off Remy's lap.

                  "I'm goin' to go get ready. I forgot about the 8:30 A.M. sessions." She declared miserably as she stretched out her arms with a yawn. Remy stood up right as she started walking out of the room. He immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. He kissed her soft pink lips tenderly as he cupped her cheek with his other hand.

                  "Someday, Rogue, someday." He whispered as he broke the kiss and slowly retracted his hand. "Someday soon."

                  "Love ya." Rogue whispered with a small smile as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

                  In a beat, Remy fell back on the bed. Marriage? Children? He wasn't expecting _that_. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his face, slapping his palm against his forehead. "Someday soon." He repeated, his eye twitching at one hundred and twenty miles per hour. "Someday soon."

                  --

The morning training session went as well as expected. Half the students were late because they slept in, and the other half fell asleep as the waited for the tardy students.

Piotr was the only one there fully awake. Pyro was sitting against the wall, snoring, still in his pajamas.

"Screw it." Rogue mumbled with a yawn as she walked down the hall, away from everyone.

"Where's she going?" Ray asked as Rogue disappeared when she turned a corner.

"Where else?" Bobby mumbled, slumping down the hall and onto the ground. Ray just nodded; enough said.

--

Remy was surprised to see Rogue huff past him as he walked out of his room to go take a shower. She didn't even say anything as she walked into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"_Merde_." Rogue in a bad mood wasn't something he wanted to deal with right now, however, it was a must. With short, slow steps, he made his way over to her room where he tapped on her door. "Ro'?" He called softly.

"Come in." Came her muffle response. He walked in, shutting the door behind him. He was immediately greeted by Rogue's back.

"Unzip me." She ordered with a snap. Remy did as ordered, because Rogue had trained him well.

"Short session?" He asked as she stripped off the spandex bodysuit, revealing she was wearing a tank top and underwear.

"I'm sick of danger room sessions." The temperamental Southerner said, walking over to her dresser where she pulled out black pants and a long sleeved green transparent mesh shirt. While she changed, Remy made himself comfortable on her bed.

"We can still head back to the Big Easy."

"Ooh, what a vacation." She kicked her uniform to the side.

                  "We have to go back, Rogue." He mumbled quiet, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I guarantee you that we won't be there for more than a few days. You know can't stand Jean-Luc."

                  Rogue didn't say anything as she leaned against the wall, wrapping her arms around herself. "I just have a bad feelin'." She mumbled, lowering her head as she heard the springs in her bed groan as Remy's weight was lifted off them. In a matter of seconds, she felt his hands on her sides.

                  He gently rested his chin on the top of her head. "It's something _we_ have to do." He stated with a sigh as he squeezed her sides. Rogue's head moved back so he backed away a little, his hands still on her hips.

                  "What's with all the 'we's'?" Rogue asked, staring him straight in the eyes.

                  "Well, you said you wanted us to get married which means we're goin' to have to get a lot more committed into our relationship. If we can't survive a small trip back to our neck of the woods, how are we goin' to survive bein' married?"

                  Rogue made a face, "Only a few days? Promise?"

                  "Promise." He laughed, pulling her forward into a tight hug.

                  If only they actually knew what awaited for them back in New

 Orleans.

                  --

                  Heh, heh. Foreshadowing. =)

                  That's all for now, my pretties! I have oh so much planned for you all. Just keep reading..

                  Also, if you're confused about the years, (three since the ending of Changes, five-ish since the beginning) don't worry; so am I.

                  I'm too lazy to answer reviews. But I appreciate them. =) They give me the inspiration to sit at the computer typing Pyro obscenities and Romy.

                  Thanks y'all. Cookies around.

.


	3. Remylicious 3

             --

             "Have you seen Rogue?" Remy had asked John as he passed him in the hallway. John stopped, scratched his chin thoughtfully, and then just shrugged. "I think she's hidin'."

                  Once again, John shrugged, appearing that he wasn't too interested in Remy's search for his girlfriend. "Check the dryer, mate. That's where I would hide. Oh, and check the trunks of cars."

                  "You've hidden in trunks of cars?" Remy dared to ask, shaking his head with disbelief as he spoke. "Let me guess, when you were younger, right?"

                  John gave him a big smile, flashing off his remarkable pearly white teeth. Those Crest white strips worked wonders on his teeth and he drank coffee religiously eight times a day. "You betchya! Greatest hiding place ever!"

                  Unfortunately, Remy lacked the pyromaniac's enthusiasm. "If you see her, could you tell her that I need to talk to her?"

                  "What do I tell her if I don't see her?"

                  Remy blinked several times, dumbfounded. With John staring at him all wide eyed with innocence and still grinning like a little boy in a candy shop, Remy wasn't sure on how to answer that without sounding sarcastic. Biting down hard on his lower lip, he patted John's head. "If you don't see her, don't tell her anything."

                  "All right!" John agreed, giving him two thumbs up. "If I don't see her, I'll tell her you want to talk to her and if I see her I won't tell her anything!" He then proceeded to skip down the hallway.

                  Remy smacked his forehead.

                  --

             Rogue rested her head against the door. It felt cool against her face as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. Her heart nearly jumped through her throat when the closet door was yanked open, she fell on the hard ground.

                  "Gambit is lookin' for you. I told him to look in trunks and to look in the dryers." Pyro whispered to her as she lifted her head up and glared at him. "What?" He asked, shrugging back his shoulders. "It's not like I told him you were hiding in my closet."

                  Rogue just grunted as she climbed to her feet. "Do you think he's suspicious?" She asked, wiping herself off.

                  "Nah, I think I acted pretty cool about it."

                  "So, in other words, it's only a matter of minutes before he realizes you know something?"

                  Pyro shrugged, sitting down on the ground. "I don't think so. I think I just confused the poor ol' chap." He then patted the empty floor space. "Now sit your arse down and tell Pyro why you're avoidin' Gambie." 

                  Rogue sat down, trying not to look uncomfortable; she didn't exactly want to talk to the person who tried to give her a concussion about her personal life. "He wants us to return to New Orleans."

                  "New Orleans? Isn't that in the Himalayas?"

                  Rogue just turned her head and stared at him. Was he serious? The world may never know. "No, not really."

                  "Why don't you want to go back to Neo Leans?"

                  "_New Orleans_." She corrected, straining her voice. "Somethin' bad is goin' to happen there."

                  "Are you psychic?"

                  "No."

                  "Then don't say something bad is going to happen, my little superior Absorbant Girl."

                  "I hate you."

                  "Hate is just a word." Pyro stated simply, not caring much about what she had to say about him. "What are you afraid of?" He asked softly, glancing over at her, his eyes locking on hers.

                  Rogue's eyes darted forward as she sat down, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them. "I'm not afraid of anythin'." She mumbled as stubbornly as ever.

                  "Sure you're not." Pyro said with a light chuckle as he took a lighter out from his pocket. He lit a small flame in his hand and watched it dance before his eyes as he let the lighter down next to him. He brought his hands together, making the flame expand.

                  Rogue stared at the flame, mesmerized by it. "What do you think I'm afraid of?" She asked uncertain, forgetting whom she was talking to.

                  "Beats me. I ain't no bloody telepath. I do know that if it's important for Charge-me-up Boy then it _should_ be important to you." He stated in the most serious tone. His eyes met hers as the flames danced higher. It was then she realized they were forming a shape: a heart. "You love the boy, don't you?"

                  Rogue nodded numbly, still startled to see such a serious mannered Pyro. The Pyro she knew would have burned something by now but while thinking that Rogue realized she didn't know Pyro, or John Allerdyce, at all. He did have a point, to which she sighed defeated. "Thanks John." She said quietly, to which he responded with a nod. "I'm not used to seeing a serious Pyro." To that, he smirked and stared down at the flames. "You're not such a bad guy, Johnny boy."

                  The flame died in his hands as his head snapped up. "Johnny boy." He repeated, blinking rapidly.

                  Rogue opened her mouth to say something but the door swung open and a certain Cajun's words filled the silent room.

                  "I can't find 'er anywhere. Will you help me look for.." Remy trailed off as he laid eyes on Rogue. "Wow. You found her and so quickly."

                  "What can I say? I'm a natural finder." John mumbled without blinking as he now stared off into space.

                  Remy stared down at Pyro and then glanced over at Rogue. "Did you sedate him?"

                  "Our little boy is growin' up." Rogue stated with a fake sniffle as she got to her feet. She began to fidget with the bottom of her shirt as she looked down at Remy's feet. He had big feet. "Rem?"

                  Remy walked over to be closer to her. He cupped her chin and ever so gently lifted up her chin. "Yeah?"

                  "If you two are going to get all lovey-dovey, I'm leavin'." John mumbled, shaking his head as he grabbed his lighter and stood up. "Just remember, you're in my room so not on my bed—_please_." He winked at the couple before leaving the room.

                  "I'm ready." Rogue stated, sounding a mite proud as she gave him a small smile.

                  Remy narrowed his brows down at her quizzically. "Ready for _what_?" He asked, thinking the complete opposite of what she meant.

                  "Ready to leave for New Orleans." Remy's hand and face dropped; it now was expressionless. "What did you think I was ready for?" Rogue asked, raising her brows at him.

                  "Dinner?"

                  Rogue eyed him suspiciously as she walked around him glancing sideways at him. "Right." She folded her arms over her chest. "When are we leavin'?"

                  "Tomorrow."

                  "_Tomorrow_?" She repeated, making a face. "I thought we were leavin' today."

                  "Talked to the Prof. He said he'd have Wolverine drop us off in New Orleans in the jet tomorrow mornin'. A lot quicker than a train."

                  "_No_." Rogue said sharply, unfolding her arms. She put her hands up, "I am not goin' there in the X-jet with Logan."

                  "Why not?"

                  "Because—I'm not!" And with that, Rogue stormed out of the room, nearly running over Pyro who was standing by the door, trying to listen in on the conversation. Remy called after her and was about to run after her until Pyro grabbed his arm.

                  "She wants to go, mate." John stated sharply, narrowing his eyes at the Cajun he was holding back. "Make her. No matter what, she has to go. Her fears can't hold her back."

                  Remy just gave him a questioning look. "All you all right, _homme_?"

                  Pyro blinked dumbly. "What about a home?"

                  "Forget it." Remy muttered, jerking out of the Australian's grip as he walked off in the direction Rogue had went in.

                  "You're welcome!" John called after him with a grin. Remy just waved his hand at him, which to John was a good enough reply. Shrugging, Pyro skipped off worry free.

                  --

             "Let me in!" Remy pounded on the door leading to Rogue's room. "You can't shut me out, Rogue." He placed his bare fingertips on the brass knob. Sparks flew as the knob became surrounded in a bright pink light. He quickly took a step back and flinched as the knob exploded. He then pushed the door forward and walked in.

                  "You're goin' to replace that, y'know." Rogue mumbled from her fetal position on the bed. He noticed her gloves had been taken off and here placed neatly next to her.

                  "It's a mansion. Chuck can pay for it. I'm sure he has dozens in the basement. It's a mutant institute after all." Gambit walked over to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, tell me why you don't want Kruger takin' us."

                  "Y'know, those nicknames only work when John says them."

                  Gambit lifted a brow at her. "John, eh? You taken with him now?" He smirked; knowing now wasn't a time to be teasing her.

                  "Oh yeah, it was love at first sight." Rogue snapped looking up at him; her eyes shot daggers at him.

                  "What's your problem?" Remy asked in a harsh voice as he started to get annoyed with her attitude.

                  "Belladonna."

                  "She's not even here."

                  "She's _always_ here."

                  Remy's eye started to twitch. "Why bring 'er up, Ro'? There's a chance we might not even see 'er the few days we're there."

                  "You're in denial, swamp rat." Rogue stood up, facing him. "You told a trained assassin you wouldn't marry her. You disowned yourself from your family. Belladonna ain't just goin' to welcome you there with open arms. You act like when we get there, everything will be the same. It won't be."

                  "Yet—" Remy uncrossed his arms and grabbed her by her shoulders, pulling her in closer. "I'll always have you, Miss. I-want-to-get-married-and-have-children." His hands trailed down her arms and moved in, resting on each side of her hips. "You know, if you want kids, we're goin' to have to practice _someday_."

                  Rogue just stared at him in disbelief, one brow cocked. "You want us to screw after discussin' your ex-fiancée? You're such a romantic."

                  "You brought her up!" When Rogue tried to walk away, he quickly tugged her in, pulling her into a hug.

                  "Before you stick your key in my ignition I.."

                  "You..?" She had trailed off into silence. Assuming she lost her train of thought as his hands began to roam up and down her sides, he decided to remind her that she had been in mid-sentence.

                  "Do you love me?"

                  "Of course." He almost laughed; Rogue had to know he loved her. When she didn't answer, he pushed it further. "What? Are you waitin' for the _not_?"

                  "I trust you, Remy."

                  "You've known me for about fifteen years. You should be able to trust me.. which is why we're still takin' the X-jet to Louisiana."

                  "Oh, so you're the big man makin' all the decisions now?" She asked, a smile curving onto her luscious lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are _you_ the _rogue_?"

                  Remy couldn't help but to laugh as she wiggled her brows at him. He lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're somethin' else you know that?"

                  Rogue just scrunched up her nose in response. "Are you gettin' soft on me, Cajun? You need to gather some of that ol swamp rat attitude back before we go back."

                  "Are you sayin' I've changed?" He asked as she buried her head in his chest and just heard a muffled 'mm-hmm.' "I haven't changed." His right eye immediately began to twitch. Rogue just lifted her head and rolled her eyes at him for being in denial.

                  "Can we go to your room?" She asked softly, unwrapping her arms. "You did kind of blow the knob off my door." Locking her eyes on his, she slowly ran her hands down his chest, enjoying the feeling of his warm body temperature through the thin shirt he was wearing against her cold bare hands.

                  "_Oui_, but you'll have to carry me." He teased her with a wink, "If you want something from your dear ol Cajun in return." And along came that cocky smirk.

                  Rogue couldn't help but to smile. "Well, if you want something from me.." She broke away from him and started walking towards the door. "You're goin' to have to give something in return for _this_." She ran her hands down from her neck to her hips right as she turned on her heel and exited the room, swaying her hips tauntingly behind her.

                  "I thought _I_ was the cocky one." Remy grinned, slowly walking in the direction she took off in.

                  --

                  Both Rogue and Remy were in a good mood the next day. Remy looked more relaxed and Rogue appeared like she was lost in the clouds. You could say it seemed like they were bounded in a _certain_ afterglow.

                  "You look like you just got laid." Pyro commented bluntly after breakfast and after Rogue had went upstairs to obtain her luggage. Remy shot him a dangerous look that screamed 'I will set you ablaze,' Although, Pyro would probably enjoy that. "Okay. Maybe not." He squeaked as Remy's red narrowed eyes started to glow.

                  "I hope you and Rogue have a pleasant vacation." Xavier said, smiling all fatherly as he wheeled into the main hall.

                  Pyro just squinted at the Professor and took a few steps to the side. "Hey.." He walked up to the Professor, smiling brightly, "I can see myself in your head!" He grinned, waving at Xavier's head. "Did you put it in a bowling bowl shiner thing?"

                  "Time for your medication." Remy muttered, grabbing the younger male by his shoulder. "Why don't you go find somethin' to do?"

                  Pyro sighed but muttered 'okay' and skipped off, humming the theme to M.A.S.H.

                  "All right. I'm ready." Rogue called, walking down the stairs holding Remy's duffel bag and her book bag, which was thrown over her shoulder. "I packed light. I have a hankerin' we won't be there long."

                  Professor Xavier arched his furry brows at Remy who just shrugged in a silent response.

                  "There's barely anything in here." Remy said minutes later when he took the luggage from her. "When you say light, you mean _light_."

                  "I just shoved clothes. I put my hair brush and stuff in _your_ bag."

                  "Why in my bag?"

                  Rogue patted his shoulder, hanging him his four hundred pound duffel bag. Yes, that was an exaggeration. "You'll see. It's apart of my _master plan_."

                  If Remy's hands were busy at the moment, he would've slapped his forehead. "I don't want to know." It was true indeed; his girlfriend was turning into a psycho. And yet, he still loved her. He was, however, taking precautions. "I don't want you hangin' around John anymore."

                  "_Ooh-kay_." Rogue mumbled, giving him a weird look. Logan then walked into the room, all geared up.

                  "C'mon. Lets get a move on." He growled like a hungry dog that Pyro had taunted by taking away his bowl of dog chow. "If you're not both in the jet in five minutes I'm leavin' without you, understood?"

                  "Aye, aye, Wolvie." Rogue said, saluting the Canadian. He just grunted at her and went on his way. "I think I'm goin' to miss him."

                  "Really? Remy asked, cocking a brow.

                  "No. Now, lets go before he has a hernia. See you soon, Prof." Rogue then proceeded to drag the luggage carrying Cajun behind her on her way to the underground garage.

                  "Wait, Rogue. I forgot something." Remy said quickly, handing her the luggage. "Hold on, I'll be quick."

                  "You better." Rogue shouted as he walked down the hallway in a fast pace. "'Cause Wolverine will leave without you!" Remy just waved his hand in the air.

                  --

                  He walked into his room, and immediately went to the closet. He opened the door and got to his knees were he lifted up a loose floorboard. Holding the board up with one hand, he reached in and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He took one cigarette out, put the pack in an inside pocket of his trench coat, and lit it with a light that had been attached to it. Taking a drag, he set the board back down. Remy sighed, exhaling a puff of smoke.

                  --

                  "Your breath smells minty-fresh." Rogue had observed when Remy sat down next to her on the jet. She sniffed, leaning in towards him. "Is that the country breeze air freshener?"

                  Wolverine just grunted from the cockpit. "Buckle up. I need to drop you two off so I can go on with my own mission." He made a whiffing sound that made Gambit wince. "Say, Gumbo, you wouldn't happen to have a light, would you?" The Canadian asked the Acadian, taking out a cigar.

                  "_Non, monsieur_." Remy lied through clenched teeth bitterly, his left eye twitching.

                  Logan smirked to himself, shoving his cigar into his pocket as he started the jet.

                  Things went silent.

                  Remy leaned back in his seat, placing his hand over Rogue's gloved one. When he felt the worn out leather instead of her smooth flesh, he slid the glove off and grasped her bare hand. He glanced sideways at Rogue to see her staring down at their hands, as if she were waiting to absorb him. When he gave her hand a tight squeeze, she turned her head and stared at him.

                  "Something wrong?" He asked softly, leaning in towards her. They had just left not five minutes ago and he was already getting restless.

                  "Tired." She answered truthfully, leaning back in her seat. "I'm hopin' for a few peaceful days. Even if I have to get a hotel room."

                  "What about me?"

                  "Get your own hotel room."

                  "I will. An' I'll throw a party there."

                  "Good. While you get arrested for destoryin' a hotel room, I'll be sleepin'."

                  "What makes you think my party would destroy the room?"

                  "It probably wouldn't be a party. Just an empty room with you an' Belladonna."

                  Remy tensed up, his grip on her hand loosened. He just pressed his back up against his seat and narrowed his eyes to the seat in front of him.

                  "I was just kiddin'." He didn't say anything. "C'mon, suck it up. You're most likely goin' to be seein' her. You're lucky if she doesn't decapitate you the second she sees you."

                  "You're not helpin'."

                  "Hey." She slid her hand out from under his and gently set it on top of his. "At least you'll always have me."

                  "And I'll always have myself."

                  "You just ruined the moment."

                  "Only after you did!" Even from the back of the jet, Remy noticed Logan had rolled his eyes. Things soon got quiet. Rogue rested her head on his shoulder, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage, which just made him daydream about how lucky her bra was.

                  That's when the trip turned for the worse.

                  The storage door opened and Pyro walked out. "Uh oh.." Remy immediately stood up, which made Rogue fall over onto his seat.

                  "What are you doin' here?" Remy asked. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Rogue sit up and shake her head.

                  Logan groaned from the cockpit.

                  Pyro laughed nervously, "I was playin' with all the buttons in the front and when I heard someone comin' I ran back into the storage room, mate! And I feel asleep." He grinned sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm surprised the Whiffer-upper didn't sniff me out."

                  Rogue crept up to the front of the jet and sat down in the empty co-pilot seat. "Logan."

                  "Stripes."

                  "Don't tell me your nose is stuffed up."

                  "I smelled his scent faintly. Storage room is an air tight room." Logan muttered, keeping his eyes on the sky in front of him. "He must've opened a window back there o' something."

                  Rogue just sighed. "You do realize he's stayin' with you.. right?"

                  "I don't think so."

                  "Then drop him back at the institute!" She was not spending her vacation with him.

                  "That's too much out of the way. You'll have to deal with him now." Logan smirked evilly, which just made Rogue glare at him.

                  "I'll get you back for this."

                  "Want to fly?" He asked, his low husky voice tainted with sarcasm. "Maybe you could take us to the scene of our crash."

                  Rogue scrunched up her nose. "I'm goin' to leave ya alone now."

                  --

                  It was the longest ride of her life. Pyro wouldn't shut up. The only thing that shut him up was when he got airsick. Not a pretty thing, Rogue observed, making Remy sit next o him. _Give him something shiny. Amuse him, I don't know. _She had told him.

                  "Why can't Wolvie keep him?" Rogue asked with a frown.

                  "Because he has some other life mission to complete so he'll be even more confused about his past." Remy had answered miserably.

                  "I'm landin'." Wolverine announced, minutes later. "I'm droppin' you off right outside New Orleans. There's an abandoned landin' strip."

                  "How are we goin' to get to town?" Rogue asked, buckling her seatbelt.

                  "Call a cab. That's why they invented cell phones."

                  Rogue and Remy just exchanged looks.

                  --

                  "Who did ya call?" Rogue sat on her book bag, which just contained her clothes. It had been over twenty minutes since Remy had made the call.

                  "Father." Remy stated, looking around, "Where's John?"

                  To which, Rogue responded with, "Ain't my kid." Remy just sighed, taking a seat on the ground next to her. "Speakin' of kids.."

                  "Not now." Gambit groaned, running a hand through his tousled hair. When she opened her mouth, he put his hand up. "No talk of marriage—yet."

                  Rogue wrapped her arms around herself, satisfied with the answer. For now, at least. "God, it's hot out here."

                  "Look what I caught!" Pyro ran out of nowhere, holding a rope in the air. When he got closer, Rogue realized it was a snake and jumped up. "What's the matter, Super Absorbant Gal? You're hurtin' Goldie's feelings!"

                  Rogue pulled Remy up to his feet by his shirt. "Blow it up." She ordered, making a face. Rogue hated snakes. She hated them with a burning passion.

                  "_You_ blow it up." He stated, giving her a sharp look. He was still trying to get Rogue to use her reserved powers. She placed her hands on her lips and right as she was about to answer, Pyro interrupted her.

                  "There's a car!" A speeding car was seen in the distance. Remy's pulse speeded up and Rogue felt her body go numb. Pyro stood behind him, still holding the snake. The car came to a stop about fifteen feet away. In a beat, the driver's side door opened and a blonde stepped out.

                  It was Belladonna.

                  "Remy!" Other than looking a little worn out, she still looked the same. She ran up to the fellow Cajun and threw her arms around him. Rogue stumbled back, surprised, right into Pyro, who dropped Goldie. Belladonna released the stunned Cajun and looked at Rogue. Her blue eyes lit up. "Rogue!" She then threw her arms around Rogue, pulling her into a hug.

                  It was true.

                  They had landed in the Twilight Zone.

                  --

                  _Ugh. This took forever to write. A lot of mistakes and such, so remember, flames aren't welcome. Especially since I worked hard on this :P_


	4. Remylicious 4

                  --

                  **Note** – _Bella_ hugged _Rogue_. It was a before-Rogue-had-a-chance-to-react kind of thing.

                  --

                  Rogue was _not_ happy.

                  "It's so great to see you two!" Belladonna had stated with a wide, toothy grin.

                  '_Well, it ain't great to see you._' Rogue stated miserably to herself. She sat in the back of the car with Remy and had made Pyro sit upfront, next to Bella. He whined to her, asking her if he could keep Goldie, his snake. Rogue just rolled her eyes and said if he sat upfront, he could. Pyro didn't have any objections there.

                  "So many things have changed around here." Belladonna stated proudly, not allowing any awkward silence. No sir, not on her watch.

                  '_I bet_.' Rogue narrowed her eyes at the seat in front of her. She kept her hand on Remy's knee as a reminder she was still in the car.

                  "How have things changed?" Remy asked, clearing his throat as Rogue tightly griped his knee.

                  '_Her hair color has changed_.' Rogue stated to herself, making a face at all the blonde strands of hair shooting out of a ponytail. She suddenly wished that she hadn't chosen to sit behind Bella.

                  "Our families aren't feudin'." Bella said, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror. "You'll notice but I think you'll get used to it after a few weeks."

                  "We're goin' goin' to be here for a few days." Rogue piped up, speaking firmly. Remy slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in towards him.

                  "Behave." He warned in a low whisper. In response, Rogue traveled and hand up the inside of his knee and squeezed.

Belladonna glanced over at John was dangling Goldie in front of his face, making kiss-y lips at it. "Who's your friend?"

"Goldie." John had stated, although she was talking to Remy.

"John. He's a mutant too." Rogue leaned toward, which just made Remy's grip around her shoulders tighten. "You know Remy an' I are mutants, right?"

"_Oui_ Rogue, I do." The blonde's grin faded a little as she clutched the steering wheel with white knuckles. "Jean-Luc showed me the letter."

Remy's brows arched up, "_You_ read the letter?" Rogue didn't even read the letter.

"Is there somethin' wrong with that?" Bella asked innocently, glancing behind her shoulder at him. "It's not a felony. He asked me to."

Right then, Rogue wanted to talk to Remy, asking him what was in the letter, but she didn't want to do it in front of Belladonna. '_If only I was telepathic_..' She trailed off when realization hit; still had Jean's psyche in her head still. Rogue looked over at Remy, squinting hard at him. '_Remy_.' She called, concentrating hard, '_Remy_.' Still nothing. '_Remy_!' All she got was a sudden case of dizziness.

"You all right?" Remy asked alarm when Rogue's shoulders dropped and she brought her hands to her head.

"Dizzy." She mumbled, honesty getting the best of her when she was going to say 'yes.'

"If you're gettin' car sick, I'll pull over." Belladonna offered sweetly.

Rogue just tightly shut her eyes. "I _don't_ get car sick, _thanks_."

"Gosh, Remy. You _weren't_ kiddin' in the letter when you said she was stubborn."

John looked over at Belladonna, as Goldie wrapped _him_self around John's arm. "Our Roguey is stubborn but a great gal. And if you don't watch it, she'll go all Super-Absorbant on you."

Rogue just glanced sharply at Remy, who gulped. "What else did you say about me in this infamous letter?"

"Nothin' bad." Bella reassured her, still smiling. "He did mention you two were serious."

"Nah." John mumbled without much interest. "They ain't serious. They jus' kidders!"

"Actually, we're thinkin' 'bout _marriage_ an' havin' kids soon." To that, Remy tightly squeezed her shoulder as his eye twitched.

'_Soon_?' He said to himself in disbelief. '_I was thinkin' in seven years. But even that's too soon. For kids at least_.'

Belladonna just smiled, "Congratulations." Her knuckles went white from how tightly she was gripping the steering wheel. "Good thing we never got married." She admitted bitterly, "I don't want kids. Didn't think he did either."

Remy remained silent until Rogue elbowed him sharply again. "Yeah." He snapped, shooting Rogue a look. "So why didn't my loving father pick us up?"

"He and Henry had to run out for some sort of meetin' at the last minute."

"Oh." Remy's eye twitched, "What about Mattie?"

A sly smile curved on her lips. "Bingo. She's been stayin' with an ill friend for the past week anyway. Julien went with Henry an' Jean-Luc."

Rogue's face deadpanned. "So, it's just the four of us."

"Five." Pyro butted in, giving her a sharp look as he held up Goldie as it to say 'duh'. Bella just made a face at the snake.

"Whatever." Rogue mumbled, lowering her head. This trip could not get any worse.

--                                                 

"Separate bedrooms." Rogue mumbled to herself, setting her book bag down on the neatly made bed. "I knew it." Belladonna had just explained that the beds were small so it would probably make them a lot more comfortable if they had separate bedrooms. The reason Rogue put a lot of her stuff in Remy's suitcase was so that she'd have a valid reason to visit him during the middle of the night. Her sly idea made her smile proudly as she picked up her bag, set it down on the dresser and took out a picture of Remy. She set it down carefully on the nightstand next to the bed and smiled, pleased with herself.

"Hey." Remy stood in the doorway of her room, his arms crossed over his chest. "Try to get along, _cherie_. For _me_."

Rogue scrunched her nose at him. "Fine, I will _try_ but I ain't makin' any promises on suceedin'." He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off. "Oh, by the way, if ya compare me to that bleached hair blonde bimbo in any way, shape o' form, I _will_ kill you."

                  "You kill me? Promise?" He asked, wiggling his brows suggestively at her. Rogue just chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm headin' out for a while."

                  Rogue deadpanned. "Why? I'm goin' with you."

                  "Stay here with John and make sure he doesn't burn the place down. I won't be long." When Rogue growled, he quickly left, not feeling like dying at that given moment.

                  --

                  "Where's Goldie?" Rogue asked with disgust after John walked into her room, asking her if she had a box.

                  "I put her in the tub." He announced proudly, thinking that was the best place in the world to put him.

                  "Did you make sure there was a coverin' over the drain so she won't crawl down?"

                  Rogue never saw a man run so fast in her whole life.

                  --

                  He walked down the empty street with quiet steps. His trench coat flapped absently in the gusts of wind, warning him about the incoming of rain in the near future. Without much thought, he took out a single cigarette from the pack located in an inside pocket of his trench coat. Placing it between his moist lips, he took out his lighter. Cupping his hand over the fag, he lit it. He stuffed the lighter back in his pocket, knowing Rogue would kill him if she found out he was still smoking.

                  Hearing the sound of a trashcan getting knocked over in an alley across the street, he stalked over, calling out, "Who's there?" He demanded to know, his eyes burning in the darkness of the night. His burning cigarette fell to the ground as he pulled out a card from his pocket. Kinetic energy was released from his bare fingertips and charged the card. "Come out, come out wherever you are." When he heard another crash from farther down the grimy alleyway, a smirk curved onto his lips.

                  Eyes followed him from above as he quickly, yet quietly, walked down the alley, in full alarm, his card ready to flip out from his fingers at any signs of danger. A smile formed on the mysterious lips of the watcher as they pointed a gun at Remy's form, more than thirty feet below.

                  Remy frowned slightly when he reached a dead end. 'What the..' Thinking maybe that it was a cat, or something, the flowing energy was pulled back. A spark flew out when the kinetic energy was released from the card. With a heavily sigh; Gambit slipped the card back into his pocket. 'Maybe I'm just too cautious.' With the shrug of his shoulders, he turned around; giving the place one more look over.

                  The person tightly clutched the gun, setting their finger on the trigger as Remy came to a stop. Closing one eye, the individual focused on Remy's head and pulled the trigger.  The bullet whizzed past his head, through the lapel that was sticking out from his duster, and buried itself in the brick wall behind him.

                  Remy fell back surprised. His head immediately jerked up to see a dark figure staring down at him from the top of the surrounding building. "Hey!" He called out in anger as the figure took off. He got to his feet, feeling slightly dizzy, and took out. In long strides he ran out of the alley and towards the building. When he got to the side of it, he only saw a black Ferrari take off. Narrowing his eyes, he cursed in French and punched the side of the building.

                  --

                  "Where'd Remy run off to?" Belladonna had asked Rogue when seeing the younger female sitting alone on the front porch. Without as much as a glance, Rogue shrugged, staring off into space with a serious expression set on her face. "Your friend, uh, John, is showin' his snake fire tricks." She rolled her blue eyes as she leaned against the wall. When Rogue didn't say anything, the blonde sighed. "Listen, Marie, I know you don't like me—"

                  "_Rogue_." The aforementioned Southerner stated sternly, gripping the armrests of the wooden chair. "I go by Rogue. It's not that I don't like you, it's just that I don't know you an' I never got any good impressions from ya."

                  "I'm hopin' we can be friends, Rogue." Bella sat in the chair next to her and took out a paper from her pocket. "Here, it's the letter Remy wrote to Jean-Luc. Read it."

                  Rogue just stared down at the paper, feeling herself begin to itch with curiosity on what her boyfriend wrote. As she reached out for the letter, an alarm went off in her head. She retracted her arm and shook her head, "No, I can't. It ain't any of my business."

                  Bella just nodded knowingly. "It sounds like you two have been through a lot."

                  "Looks like things have changed here too." Rogue mumbled, staring straight ahead. "But a tiger can never change its stripes." She gave Bella a sharp look only to see her staring down at her. "What?"

                  "You've just grown up so much." Rogue cocked a brow. "Yet you _still_ have that attitude problem." Bella wrinkled her brow at her as she got to her feet.

                  "Says the girl who once referred to me as 'bleach job gothic style Barbie.'"

                  "I've grown up since then."

                  "Oh, better insults now?"

                  Belladonna flipped her hair behind her shoulder, "_Non_, now I jus' kill the person instead of all the bickerin'." She said in a husky, deep French accent. "Bickerin' just causes too many wrinkles an' I won't allow worry wrinkles on my _belle_ face." Rogue lifted her brows, giving her an appraising look. "I'm kiddin'!"

                  "I bet."

                  Rolling her eyes, Bella set her hands on her hips. "Rogue, will you help me prepare dinner?"

                  Feeling she couldn't say no, Rogue pushed herself to her feet.

                  --

                  The stairs groaned under his heavy footsteps as he walked up at the stairs and barged into the house. He saw Rogue sitting in the living room, holding a bloody cloth around her hand.

                  "What happened?" Gambit demanded to know, nearly knocking over a recliner as he walked over to her. He knelled down, his eyes wide.

                  "It's just a cut. I wasn't payin' attention in the kitchen." Rogue said softly, suddenly feeling concerned, "Are you all right?"

                  Remy just shook his head, breathless. "We need to get out of here now. Where's Bella?"

                  "In the kitchen." Rogue almost sounded uncertain ad confused. "What happened, Rem?" He just stood up, grabbed her arm and rushed her upstairs.

                  Bella stood in the doorway of the room, smiling.

                  --

                  "Rem, calm down." Rogue nearly pleaded as Remy pushed her into her room, closing and locking the door behind them.

                  "Has Bella been here the whole time since I left?"

                  "Yeah. Remy, tell me what happened." She asked in a stern voice, sick of all the questions.

                  "I was shot at." He showed her the hole in the collar of his trench coat. Rogue's eyes widened as she touched the thick material with her gloved fingertips.

                  "Oh my god." She whispered, throwing her arms around him. He felt surprised as he wrapped his arms around her. While he was only interested in whom the shooter was, Rogue was more concerned with his life. He couldn't help but to smile as he tightened his grasp around her.

                  --

                  Pyro hummed loudly as he walked into his guest room carrying a cardboard box. He suddenly came to an abrupt stop as he caught sight of what was on his bed.

                  Goldie but with her head cut off.

                  He let out a strangled cry as he dropped the box and stumbled back.

                  --

Sorry it's so damn short. o.O This fic isn't even going to be that long. I'm going to be lucky to get to it 10 chapters including an epilogue.

_By the way, I love the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. ;) _


	5. Remylicious 5

             --

                  Remy sat on the back porch, smoking a cigarette. It was now four in the morning and although his mind was pleading for sleep, his body was restless.

                  It had _not_ been a good night.

                  John accused Rogue of decapitating his snake. Rogue rolled her eyes and said she wouldn't get within a foot of that creature much rather cut off its head. To which, John said that she was a snake-ist. Think about it.

                  So, now, John refused to be in the same room as that prejudice-snake-killing-Super-Absorbant-Gal-Southern-who-was-jealous-of-Goldie-because-Goldie-was-so-gosh-darn-sexy. Rogue just laughed and told him the psyche ward called, they're missing their pyromaniac idiotic psychopath. John just said it takes one to know one and walked away. Oh yeah, he told her.

                  Rogue then was pissed off so she went into her 'don't-talk-to-me-or-touch-me-especially-you-Remy' mood. So, in other words, she attached herself to him.

                  He knew she was worried about him, especially when he came close to getting his pretty face blown off, so he didn't mind. It warmed his heart knowing she cared so much about him. It wasn't until then he realized how close he was to death. That changed everything. He now realized how close he came to losing Rogue. If he died so easily, he knew she'd re-kill him and his murder.

                  It did, however, open the door for him.

                  He finally saw that he was ready to settle down with Rogue. Well, in the marriage department at least.

                  "Couldn't sleep?" Remy nearly choked on his cigarette when he turned around to see Belladonna standing behind him. Uninvited, she sat down next to him, "Neither could I."

                  "Nearly got shot today." He stated bluntly, staring at her face, waiting to see her expression. He concentrated hard, wanting to know her true emotions at that, to see if he could tell if she were hiding anything.

                  Her brows rose in surprise. She seemed nearly speechless until she finally spoke, a minute later, "An' you think I had somethin' to do with it, right?"

                  "C'mon Bella, I refused to marry you. You can't think I'll trust you jus' 'cause you hugged me." And then she hugged Rogue, who looked like someone punched her in the stomach. "Besides, I know it wasn't you."

                  "You know it wasn't me? I love all the trust."

                  "You're an assassin. Like hell I'd trust you. We could be _married_ an' I _still_ wouldn't trust you." Bella seemed to flinch when he said 'married.'

                  "Well, you ain't exactly all that trustworthy." She eyed the burning cigarette that was secured between his thumb and index finger. "Rogue told me you stopped smokin'."

                  "I did." He answered curtly, taking a drag from the cigarette. "For a few weeks."

                  "Kind of ironic. You've only been back for several hours an' someone already wants your Cajun ass dead."

                  "An' you seem to care plenty."

                  "Maybe I do still hold a grudge against you." She stated softly as his eyes met hers. "But I would never kill you." She leaned in towards him as he exhaled a puff of smoke. "You're somethin' special, Remy."

                  "You haven't changed, have you?" He asked with a smirk. "You can't fool me, Bella. Inside you're still jus' a selfish teenager who's used to gettin' everythin' she wants."

                  The blonde narrowed her eyes at him, "You forget, this _selfish teenager_ is a trained killer."

                  "You killed John's snake, didn't you?"

                  She leaned back, smiling coyly. "_Non_, I didn't, _amour_. Ain't that _fou_." She admitted with a cold laugh. "Got to admit, though. Your _ami_, John, is a bit cute, _hahn_?"

                  Remy rolled his eyes. This was Bella. While she used to get pissed off at him for doing as much as talking to Rogue on the phone, she was allowed to go out with other guys and such. "You haven't changed Bella. Quit the goddamn act."

                  "It's quite sad." She whispered, licking her pink lips. "You don't even realize how good you have it. Rogue deserves better than you." When he flicked his cigarette into the grass and stood up, Bella grabbed his arm, chuckling. "I'm jus' joshin' you, _amour_. Sit down."

                  "Piss off. An' stop callin' me _amour_." He snapped, jerking away from her grip. He walked inside, feeling her eyes burn into his back.

                  --

                  "I'm sorry, _monsieur_ LeBeau." Remy wasn't happy to see Bella waiting outside the bathroom when he came out, just a half hour after their last encounter. Belladonna stood in the hallway, her arms crossed over her chest. "I was actin' childish an' such. I _am_ tryin' to change. I also think I know who tried to shoot you."

                  Remy just stared at her, droplets of water slid down his face from his drenched hair. He felt exhausted and didn't want to put up with any crap from her.

                  "My father was never happy with you so think—" She shrugged her shoulders, unknowing of what to say. "It could be him. Jean-Luc o' Henry could've told him."

                  "Where is your father?" Remy sighed, shaking his head.

                  Bella shrugged again, which just made his shoulders drop. "Don't know. He's just around."

                  "Looks like I'm going on a manhunt tomorrow." He muttered walking towards his room, hanging his head.

                  Bella just crossed her arms over her chest and smiled.

                  --

                  "John, for the twentieth and last time, I did _not_ kill your snake!" It was now morning in New Orleans; two mutants were still at each other's throats. Rogue sat at table, eating toast, reading the newspaper while John sat across from her, reading the comics, while eating a bowl of pre-sweetened cereal coated with an extra layer of sugar. "So _stop_ starin' at me before I put you in a coma an' it ain't goin' to be a sugar one."

                  "If you didn't kill my beloved Goldie then who did? The blonde bimbo who ran through three red lights? I knew it. You really were jealous of 'er." Only Pyro would notice that—and only Pyro did. "She didn't show any signs of hostility towards dearest Goldie. Neither did Gumby; only you."

                  "I didn't kill him!" She set down the newspaper and stared at him. Rogue surely was stubborn; when she knew she was right she refused to give up.

                  "_Her_." He corrected, putting his nose in the air, "Just proves how much you didn't love 'er."

                  "I hate snakes but I wouldn't kill one." Rogue snapped, clutching a piece of buttered toast in her hand. "I spent most of the night with Bella. There was no way I had time to decapitate your stupid snake. And—" She stood up so fast that her chair tipped over. "If you say I was jealous of a reptile one more time I'm goin' to clobber your Australian ass!"

                  Pyro just squeaked, "Okay." And went back to reading. That just made Rogue feel horrible—which most likely was the pyromaniac's intentions.

                  "I really didn't." She said softly after a few minutes of silence. Well, silence excluding the sound of Pyro munching on his cereal.

                  "I know." He sighed, setting down his spoon. He looked like a sad little boy. "But you're just so easy to tease." Although he tried to make a joke, Rogue could sense he was still upset about brutal murdering of his snake.

                  "I'll find out who did it, Johnny boy." She offered him a small smile, "I promise."

                  --  
  
                 

                  "I don't want you leavin' the house." It wasn't a suggestion; it was an order. Rogue lifted her head up from the book she was reading and cocked a brow at her boyfriend.

                  "'Scuse me?"

                  "I said I don't want you leavin' the house." This time, he spoke in a strict, firm voice.

                  "I heard ya the first time, mind tellin' me why you don't want me leavin'?"

                  "It ain't safe."

                  "The world ain't safe, Rem-Rem, an' that never stopped me before." Not the answer Remy wanted.

                  "I'm serious." He sat down next to her on the bed; his attire was his usual trench coat and clothes underneath. His belt fully suited with cards, which told her he planned on a fight. "Not until I find out who tried to kill me yesterday."

                  "I can take care of myself." She pressed the issue, wanting to be with him.

                  "With you only usin' your absorbin' powers? _Non_, I ain't riskin' it."

                  "I am not bein' cooped up in here all day with _her_." Rogue stood up, the book fell to the ground with a loud thud. "I'm goin' with you."

                  He laughed, shaking his head. "Hell no. Are you crazy?"

                  In a beat, she replied, with her hands on her hips, "Well, I am goin' out with you ain't I?"

                  Remy smirked; he had walked right into that one. "Just give me a few hours an' we'll do somethin' special tonight." He stood up, giving her one of his best charming smiles. Unfortunately, Rogue was too good too fall for his well-practiced smiles. "I promise."

                  Okay, maybe she wasn't too good to fall for his well-practiced smiles. Rogue felt weak in the knees as he leaned in and gently kissed her lips. He knew her all too well. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down and closer to her.

                  Suddenly she broke the kiss, making a face as she set her hands on his chest, feeling over the trench coat. "What's with the bump?" Rogue asked, once hand slipping into his duster. Remy jerked back surprised, "What---" His half empty pack of cigarettes fell to the ground. Rogue stared down at it and then looked back up at him. "Wow." She mumbled, speechless, after a minute of awkward silence. "Yours?" Rogue asked, although she already knew the answer. The second Remy nodded, she slapped him. He was taken back. The slap left a stinging pain and a red mark on his cheek.

                  "I deserve that." He mumbled, touching the sore spot on his cheek.

                  "All this time I thought what we did worked and it hasn't? You've been smokin' behind my back?" He nodded numbly, "Why?" She demanded to know, crossing her arms over his chest.

                  "Because the gum didn't say lit and the patch pulled the skin off my lips." (Thanks Bill Engvall!)

                  "You're an ass."

                  "I'm sorry. I'll quit." He rolled his eyes, although in the pit of his stomach he knew he should join the Witness Protection program.

                  "Too late for that." She picked up the pack of cigarettes, which had a lighter stuffed in there, took out a cigarette and lit it with the lighter. "Screw it." She took a drag.

                  "Rogue—"

                  "Save it. If you can smoke, _I_ can smoke." She exhaled a puff of smoke into his face.

                  "Stop it. I won't smoke."

                  "If you couldn't quit usin' products what makes you think you can quit cold turkey?" She asked before having a coughing fit. She made a face at the cigarette, "How the hell can you smoke this?"

                  "Beats me." He muttered, taking the fag away from her. He then proceeded to rub it in the wooden dresser, putting it out.

                  "Remy!"

                  "What?" He asked innocently, smirking as he turned around to see a scowling Rogue. "Listen, I—"

                  "Leave. Go on your stupid little scavenger hunt to find that idiot. If you don't came back to me in the same health you're in now—"

                  "In other words, you want me to come back without holes in my body?"

                  "And without you gettin' charged for murder."

                  "You're pissed." He flinched, knowing she was beyond angry with him.

                  "We'll deal with you deceivin' me later." She mumbled, running a hand through her fringes. "You're just lucky I love you. Now, be careful." Taking a deep breath to stop herself from killing him, she took a step forward and straightened out his lapel.

                  Placing his hand on her shoulder, he leaned in for a kiss only to have her take a step back.

                  "Now you're goin' to have to go behind my back to get a little lovin' from---"

                  "Don't even finish that." He grabbed her chin, giving her a stern look. "I'll be back in a few hours. Take out your anger on John until I get back."

                  Usually, she would have smiled and most likely would have, but this time, she crossed her arms over her chest and didn't even do as much as laugh or smile. "You're not funny."

                  His hand dropped, "You're my future wife. You're supposed to laugh at everything I say."

                  Rogue laughed. It wasn't a very nice laugh. "I see you still have your humor."

                  "I see you're still in the runnin' for Ice Queen." Remy was lucky Rogue hadn't absorbed Bobby Drake or he'd be in a cold situation if you know what I'm saying. "We'll talk when I get back."

                  "Don't be too sure of that. If anything, you'll be sleepin' in your _own_ bed."

                  "How long can you hold a grudge?"

                  "How long were you smokin' behind my back." Rogue asked, snapping at him. "If you told me you couldn't quit, I would have tried to understand."

                  Remy sighed, walking towards the door. "We'll talk later."

                  Rogue didn't say anything.

                  --

                  He slid on a pair of sunglasses as he stepped outside. Belladonna had given him the keys to his brother's motorcycle and said good luck. She also said she'd talk to Rogue and would try to cheer up John. He thanked her, actually relieved happy that she was around.

                  Belladonna had also asked how he planned on finding her father. He just laughed and said he had his ways. Enough was said there.

                  His greatest fear right now was returning home to Rogue who most likely was going to use a whisk to beat him. She was going to scramble him like scrambled eggs or whatever.

                  He ran his fingers over the hole in his collar as he got on the bike. No one ever puts a hole in his trench coat and gets away with it.

                  --

                  "You slapped him?" Bella asked, her brows raised and a smirk pressed onto her lips. "I have to say that he deserved it."

                  Pyro sat next to the blonde on the couch, staring blankly at the television, which wasn't turned on. He was still depressed about Goldie.

                  "You should've punched him." Bella winkled up her nose in delight. "That would've been funny, _hahn_? Imagine what he'd have to tell his _amis_ if you gave him a black eye."

                  Rogue sat on the ground, her knees pressed up against her chest. "I didn't even mean to slap the boy."

                  "If you ever have children and hit them, that's not the best excuse."

                  "I don't want children." Rogue mumbled, lowering her head. She put her hand up right as Bella opened her mouth to speak. "I wasn't thinkin' when I told him that." She frowned to herself, not wanting to tell her boyfriend's ex that she only said it because she wanted commitment from him.

                  Belladonna just smiled and leaned back, earning a sideways glare from the pyromaniac who sat besides her.

                  --

                  I wanted to re-write this chapter. = Don't know why I didn't. Oh well. 


	6. Remylicious 6

--

"Are vacations supposed to be so borin'?" Rogue asked out loud to no one in particular. She was out on the porch, leaning over the wooden railing. A bored expression was cast on her face, along with a small frown placed on her lips. Time seemed to pass at an unbelievable slow rate after Remy had left and Pyro had declared he was having a funeral for his deceased snake. "Maybe I should take a train back home." A small sigh escaped her lips as she stood up, hugging her arms around herself.

"Hey Super Absorbant Gal, do you want to speak on Goldie's behalf?" The door flew open and John walked out. "You know, at her eulogy?" Oblivious to him, Goldie was a male snake, not a female snake. That really didn't matter anymore since she wasn't alive.

"I'm not really in the mood."

"Trouble in paradise?"

Rogue didn't respond; she just stood there, staring down at the ground. "I'm goin' for a walk." When she took a step forward, he grabbed her shoulder, lightly. She didn't move a muscle as she sucked in air.

"You can go for a walk _after_ you attend Goldie's funeral."

"John, I said I ain't in the---" His grip on her shoulder tightened intensely. Rogue exhaled sharply in surprise, biting down on her lower lip.

"You're goin'." His usual dark green eyes seemed dull and his face looked older as he narrowed her eyes at her, a certain stern posture stood out in his tone of voice. "You can sit out here isolated later, wallowing in self pity for your pathetic life." 

Her law dropped as her eyes widened. Feel heat waves of anger pass through her; she narrowed her eyes, her body tensing up. "You're hurtin' me. Therefore ya better remove your hand from my shoulder before I move it for you."

John's own eyes widened, his hand left her shoulder and dropped limply to his side. "The funeral is in a half hour. I'll see you out in the back by then."

"Why do you act so weird?" Rogue asked, making a face as she rubbed her bruised shoulder. "One minute you're actin' so weird an' crazy an' then the next—you're the complete opposite."

He seemed to relax at her words as he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." He answered, dropping his shoulders as he lowered his head. "But I miss my dear Pang-itar."

Rogue's brows arched up, a small smile pressed onto her raw lips. "You mean Piotr?" She asked, pronouncing the Russian's name perfectly. "You didn't have to come. You could have stayed back at the institute with him if you didn't fall asleep in the X-Jet."

"Maybe I was supposed to come." He glanced up at her, his orange hair falling in place over his eyes, reminding him he was in due for a haircut soon. "Something is goin' to happen." He leaned in towards her, "I don't trust her." He whispered, "I don't trust her _at all_."

"Who?" Rogue asked, her voice no higher than his, "Belladonna?"

A faint smile appeared on his lips. "No." He laughed, pushing her back into the wooden pillar, "Not _her_."

"Then who?" Rogue urged, feeling her pulse quicken with anxiety. John just stared at her, his green eyes glossy. "Tell me, damn it."

"It's right under your nose." A cold laugh escaped his pale lips. "Right under your nose." He then proceeded to flick her nose and then just skip off.

Rogue just blinked, "I really am in the Twilight Zone." Cue the music. She ran a hand through her hair, "As soon as that stupid serpent has its funeral, I'm out of here."

--

Remy LeBeau certainly had his ways of finding people. It did not take him long to find Marius Boudreaux, Belladonna's father. He entered the smoked filled bar, knowing the man would have to be there. He glanced behind his shoulder, noticing that the sun was setting. Rogue would have his neck when he got home, but that was the least of his problems—for now, anyway.

"Well, good evenin' handsome." A waitress, so he assumed, stopped him as he walked around, in search of certain other Cajun. "What's with the sunglasses? Ya got sensitive eyes inside a _bar_?" She gave him a look over, not looking too dissatisfied.

"I'm lookin' for someone." He stated, ignoring her wandering eyes. If he didn't have his mind set on murder, he wouldn't have minded all the attention. Of course, then a mental image of Rogue smacked him across the back of his head.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked leaning in towards him, a mischievous smile planted on her lips. "With anything at all?"

"Yeah, My wife should be here soon—" He almost smirked at her pretty face, which had deadpanned with disappointment, "Keep an eye out for a _belle_ _femme_ with brown hair, white bangs, an' the most beautiful green eyes you can imagine, would you?"

"Whatever." The might have been waitress walked away mumbling something about the good catches always either being taken or gay. He just shrugged, feeling slightly satisfied with himself.

--

John stood in the backyard, clad in his usual brightly colored clothes. Belladonna had changed into black clothes and Rogue wore what she had changed into earlier that day—a purple off the shoulder sweatshirt with a black tanktop underneath and her usual black jeans.

"John told me you were _fou_ an' were goin' to find out who _assassin_ his _belle béb_." Bella had whispered to her as they brushed past each other on their way out. "How do you plan on doin' _that_? I think your _ami_ is a few matches short of a matchbox."

Rogue smiled, amused by the girl's comment. "I promised I would but I don't exactly have any leads." Disappointment flashed in her eyes as she glanced over at the young pyromaniac. "I feel kind of bad." She looked back over at Bella, "But he has been actin' so weird lately." Subconsciously, she winced at her sore—and bruised—shoulder.

Belladonna nodded, knowingly, "He kept starin' at me last night. _Dieu_, he's a bit cute an' all but I ain't interested. He ain't my _amour,_ y'know. Although, I do fancy his _feu_-like orange hair; it's yummy."

Rogue resisted the urge to comment on that, and to make a face of disgust. She never did understand Belladonna and most likely never would. "Yeah, right. If you say so." She mumbled, quickly walking down the stairs. "I showed up, John." She stated to him, there was a certain coldness stained her spoken words.

"And you aren't even attached to a leash. Good for you."

Yes, Rogue had to refrain herself from slapping him. "It's a dead snake. Get over it."

Not exactly the best words to spit out at a near edge (yes, near edge) psychotic Australian who is also a pyromaniac and could control fire. Their eyes locked on each other's.

She almost expected him to hit her, but instead, he just smiled. "You're so silly, Roguey. I'm _absorbed_ into your humor." While chuckling, he slid his hand out into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, "Ready?" He asked; his mischievous eyes flickering as he lit a flame with the lighter. Rogue moved back, bumping into Belladonna. "I was thinkin' we make some snake _shiskabob_?"

Sighing, Rogue shook her head. "You really are mentally insane. I thought you were goin' to bury it."

He shrugged his shoulders, the flame now placed in his hand. "Can't _I_ make a joke? Isn't that all I am to you? A joke?"

Rogue glanced behind her at Belladonna, who looked just as quizzical as her. She turned back to John, her hands placed on her hips. "What's your problem, _mate_?" She asked, feeling especially moody then, "Sounds like you have permanent guy PMS. Talk about mood swings."

"Could you speak _kind_ words at Goldie's funeral? Or is your Southerner sass ego getting too big to pay any respect?"

"Pyro—'she' is a snake. A snake. Not a human, not even really a pet—" He opened his mouth to speak but she put her hand up, interrupting him as he was about to interrupt her—"And she wasn't really a pet. You didn't even know her for twenty-four _hours_. It doesn't count."

Behind her, Belladonna rolled her eyes, impatiently glancing down at her watch. "Are you two just goin' to stand there an' argue? Gold was his friend—okay? You're here an' Remy isn't, therefore you have nothin' to do so let's just get this thing over with!"

Rogue blinked, surprised, exchanging glances with John. "What time is it?" She asked him, not forgetting about their argument, but putting it aside, mentally.

"It's time to get a watch." John shrugged, glancing down behind his shoulder at the shoebox containing his snake and the hole he buried to lay the box into. Sighing, he turned back to her, looking at his watch. "It's a quarter to six, _Rouge_." He stated, purposely mispronouncing her name.

"Thanks, _Joan_." Rogue mumbled, she too, purposely mispronounced his name. She turned to Belladonna, "Remy was supposed to be back several hours ago. I'm—"

"Worried?" Belladonna finished with a wry smile. "Yeah, I can only imagine." She leaned to the side, looking at John, "Sorry Johnny but I have things to see, and people to do. I'll be back in an hour."

"I bet." John admitted bitterly between clenched teeth. "I'm going to the store." He pushed his way past Rogue and Belladonna.

"I hope we don't end up gettin' a phone call at one A.M. sayin' 'we have your psychopath Australian pyromaniac.'"

Belladonna shrugged her shoulders, not too interested, "Yeah, well, the homme doesn't know the telephone number for here so it looks like we'll be gettin' a full night of sleep." The blonde then turned on her heel and left.

Rogue sighed, worrying about her boyfriend. Sighing again, she looked over at the shoebox, containing the decapitated snake. "Might as well bury you, Goldie." She walked over, picking up the box. Getting on her knees, she gently set the box in the hole. "Good night, Goldie. I still hate your kind, but you were all right considerin' I barely saw ya." She actually smiled as she slowly brushed the dirt over the box. She mumbled a few other things until the box was completely buried. She pushed herself up, getting to her feet. She walked over to the side of the house, pulling a few flowers out of the ground to lie over the snake's grave.

 John watched her from the upstairs window as he grabbed his wallet. A small smile curved onto his lips. "Thanks Rogue." Who knew the untouchable could be so caring? Reminding himself about Remy, he glanced back at the clock on the wall with a wearily expression.

--

He sat in the back corner of the bar, where he had easy access of who enters the place. A glass was placed in front of him, filled with bourbon. The half melted ice floating on top reminded him how long he had been waiting there—nearly an hour had he been sitting there.

"Can I get you anythin' else?" A waitress who had served him asked, walking up to him, her notepad and pen ready.

He shook his head, staring down at his half empty glass. He didn't need to get drunk—and he knew Rogue would kill him even more if he came home drunk, especially after telling her he would be home _soon_. "_Non_—_mais merci_."

She just nodded her head, not seeming to care much. "This is my section and you can see you're the last person left here." She hinted, her voice accent free, "So, you get my drift? I want to get home to spend a little time with my son." He stared at her blankly, which made her roll her eyes, "You know, my _fils_." She made a voice, not knowing much French.

"Yeah." He mumbled without a care, running a hand through his hair. "Just get me the damn check." While she was gone, he had a mental image of him playing with a toddler. Both sitting on the ground, playing with toy cars, making unrealistic engine noises and crashing noises. He smiled faintly as she returned. "How old is your son?" He asked, suddenly feeling interested.

"Three." The waitress answered with a smile as she handed him the check. He pulled out his wallet, taking out a ten. He put it with the receipt and handed her it back. "Keep the change."

"Thank you." He just nodded as she picked up his glass, wiped the table and left. With a sigh, he stood up.

"Guess I'll have to come back tomorrow night." He said out loud to himself as he rubbed his chin. "I was sure he was goin' to be here." As if on cue, Marius entered with several of his comrades, all seemed to be laughing at something. Remy narrowed his eyes at the sight.

--

One would think it would be peaceful in an empty house. Not for Rogue. She sat on the bed in Remy's room, her knees brought up to her chest. She was bored and the silence seemed to increase the boredom level. She fell back, groaning, the heat of the day wasn't helping.

"I need to get out of here."

_"I don't want you leavin' the house."_ Remy's command swirled around in her mind, reminding her that she had been forbidden to leave the premises.

"Screw you." She mumbled, getting off the bed and to her feet. She walked over to his window, taking a glimpse outside, "It's after dark.." Rogue bit down on her lower lip. "Maybe I shouldn't." She reminded herself that Remy had promised he would be back in a few hours. "Oh well. I'm a big girl now. I can go for a walk whenever I want."

So she did.

--

He pushed him against the wall, clutching each side of the collar to his coat. Remy's eyes glowed underneath the sunglasses, oblivious to the people surrounding him.

"We need to talk." He hissed, receiving a weird look from Marius. He called his friend's off from trying to attack the Cajun who now held him against the wall.

"Well, if it isn't the infamous Remy LeBeau." Belladonna's father cracked a smile. "You want to remove your hands, boy?"

Remy did, but slowly and cautiously. Marius waved his hand at the guys, telling them to start the poker game without him. Grunting, the men left, leaving them alone. The two Cajuns then took a seat, Remy sat across from him.

"I take it this is 'bout Bella?" The older male asked, taking out a cigarette. "Want one?" He mumbled, without much interest as he lit his own.

Remy was tempted, but shook his head; he already smelled like alcohol and smoke, which would get him the cold shoulder from Rogue for about a day. "Why would I be askin' about 'er?"

Marius shrugged, "You're the one who left." He took a drag from his cigarette. "Can't help you on gettin' 'er back."

Our darling Cajun was a mite confused—and a bit disgusted. "Why would I want 'er back? I'm in a damn good relationship now."

"Then why are you here?" His voice was low and husky, and also had a slur to it, hinting he had been drinking before he came. "You here to flaunt your new _fille_ at my daughter?" He asked, exhaling a puff of smoke in Remy's direction.

"_Non_.." He trailed off, still feeling confused—not only that, but now there was a certain brand of awkwardness seeping through into the conversation. "Bella an' Rogue get along pretty good." So he thought, or even more; so he assumed.

Marius narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, "Who you bullshittin', LeBeau?" He asked, taking another drag from his fag, "Bella hates yours and that skunk haired gal's guts. She was heartbroken when you left. Took the darlin' two years to get over you and to wish upon your demise."

Remy cocked a brow, no longer feeling threatened by the man. "What are _you_ talkin' 'bout, Boudreaux? Bella couldn't have been happier to see me. Hell, we're stayin' with her while my family is away." Marius just grunted in response. "Besides, I hear you ain't that fond of me neither." Now, he would get to reason why he was there.

"Boy, I've never liked you. My Bella could've done so much better than you."

"Could've done?"

"Oui—now my precious daughter is crazier than a naked man jumpin' around in the swamp with chicken meat strapped to his behind. I can't even remember the last time I saw 'er."

"Did you know I was in town?" Remy leaned back in his chair, trying to make sense of all this.

Marius laughed, getting to his feet. "No. Nor do I care. If you don't mind, LeBeau, I have a game to play. An' it's nighttime, lose the sunglasses."

Remy just sighed, knowing something didn't seem right. "I got to get home." He decided, pushing back in the chair.

--

Rogue walked down the street, in deep thought. She had her Walkman with her and her headphones were on, blasting music into her ears. She had walked past her old house, and was going through the good and bad memories of what she went through while she lived there with Irene those eight years.

Feeling a chilly breeze in the night air, she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. She made a mental note to turn around the next block—she was hoping Remy was already home; she wanted him to see that she had left.

A small sigh escaped her lips just at thinking about Remy. She began to cross the street. _I wonder if he's all right. I swear, to god if he isn't.. _She pursed her lips together, not knowing what she was supposed to be feeling right now. _At least he knows I'm here for him. _She decided, with a small smile.

That's when she felt the hairs alongside the back of her neck stick up. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she felt her body freeze. She stepped dead where she was, in the middle of the street, and turned her head. She squinted at the bright headlights coming her way. _What the.._ The loud noise of a horn being honked broke through her music as she felt her body absentmindedly jerk back.

--


	7. Remylicious 7

--

_As a warning, this chapter sucks. A lot. Unfortunately, I lost some interest in this. The next chapter will be the last. This is possibly one of the worst things I've ever written for X-M:E due to the fact it's all out of character. =( I'm sorry. _

--

It all happened in slow motion. The only thing she could hear was the roaring of an engine from down the street. Her vision became fuzzy and something inside her clicked at the familiar sound.

The first thing that touched her was the front bumper of the car. She could feel the metal pressed against her shins as she closed her eyes. In a beat, everything sped up again.

The car raced into her, passing through her body. When the black car reached less than half a block away, it got slammed on its brakes.

Rogue fell back to the ground, her body exhausted from phasing itself after not being used for such a long period of time. She could feel a sharp rock pressing into her back but she didn't move. She just stared up at the night sky, feeling tired and, for once, calm.

The black cars tinted windows hide the scowling face of a woman. She cursed, looking into the rearview mirror. She immediately noticed a motorcycle in a not so far distance and quickly pushed down on the gas pedal.

--

The screeching of tires was heard as he slammed on the brakes of the motorcycle. The stop had been so abrupt, his body jerked forward. Remy stumbled off the bike, his heart pounding against his ribcage.

Her body laid there, her chest slowly rising and falling with each shallow breath she took.

His red eyes were practically dilated as he fell to his knees by her body. "Rogue?" He mumbled, sounding breathless. His voice had a different tone to it—'twas a little high pitched and it had cracked with emotion. He suddenly knew how she felt when he had been shot at. His heart raged with what had been latent emotions, and he fought back tears, feeling as if he had lost a bet.

"You're kneelin' on my hand, sugah." Rogue mumbled, her voice small. In response, he leaned down, gathering her limp body in his arms.

"_Mon Dieu_." He whispered into her hair as he grumbled a few other choice words in French. "You just nearly died."

"And so did you."

"You were closer."

"The bullet missed your head by a few inches!"

"The car passed through you!" He almost laughed, not wanting to argue on such a _silly_ subject—death. "Fuck, Rogue. If you didn't phase—" He didn't dare finish the sentence, "_Merde_. I love you. I _really_ love you."

Rogue's stomach just fluttered, as her heart swelled with concern. Never had she seen Remy so hysterical. _Never_. "I love you too, saloon boy." Her own voice was shaky. The side of her face was pressed into his chest. Hearing the quick patterned beat of his heart, she inhaled deeply, making a face as she eased her way out of his tightening grip. "You smell like cigarette smoke and cheap cologne."

He looked down at her, lightly cupping her cheek. She just stared up into his eyes, noticing how his eyes suddenly seemed too small for his face. "Don't I usually?" He asked. A familiar and comfortable smirk settled on his lips.

"Usually you smell like.. Country Breeze air freshener and _cheap cologne_." She had teased, unintentionally drawling out her words. "Are we goin' to sit in the middle of the road all night?"

"Just look both ways before crossin' the street anymore, _cherie_." Slowly, they got to their feet, her hand in his.

That's when he noticed the familiar black car down the street. The headlights flickered as it slowly began to turn the corner, and disappear into the night. Or just down the road, your choice.

--

"Both John and Bella had went out." Less than an hour later, our favorite Southerners sat in Remy's room. Remy was sitting on the floor, his back pressed up against the side of the bed. Rogue, however, was lying on her stomach on the bed. "Bella acted impatient and bitchy while—" Rogue made a face, "John was just actin' weird. Mood swings like you wouldn't believe."

Remy nodded knowingly to himself, "Yeah, the homme gets like that from time to time. Probably hasn't been takin' his medication." With one knee brought up to his chest, he leaned forward. "I don't think it was Marius."

Rogue squinted and scrunched up her nose as she rolled over onto her back. "Marius; Bella's father?" She asked, propping herself up on her elbows. "Jesus Remy, how many enemies do you have here?"

A small smirk formed on his lips, "Female enemies?" He asked, leaning back against the bed, his arms now folded behind his head. "Or male enemies?"

"Yeah, I reckon there's a horde of girls you've dated in an 'I hate Remy LeBeau' hate club. This weeks topic—'R.L. is back in town! First one to bring back his appendages gets an official 'I hate R.L.' pin!'" Laughing, Rogue sat up. She made a face from the pain of the bruise she had gotten on her back when she had fallen backwards.

Silence came from Remy. Yeah, joking about someone's death is only funny the first seventeen times—then it gets rather dull and perhaps mean.

Frowning, Rogue slid off the bed and sat herself down next to him. He had a serious look on his face. "It's like a mystery." She mumbled, setting her hand on his knee, "And time is runnin' out."

He glanced sideways at her; feeling nearly baffled by her remark, "Rogue. If you could phase—" He paused briefly, "—Do you think you could still read minds?"

Her eyes lowered, "I could try. Whose mind do ya want me to read?" Her voice was soft, and she had spoken with slight hesitation.

"Belladonna's."

Her eyes lifted up, locking on his. "You don't trust her?" She asked, "Do you want me to absorb her too? Maybe gather on more of her memories just to have her psyche in my head?"

"Don't get so defensive."

"I'm not."

"You were."

"Shut up."

"You goin' to make me?"

Rogue got up and stood in front of him. She then glared down at him, narrowing her eyes. "Yes." She answered, "Yes, I am."

Remy then got to his feet, which closed the little space between them. Their bodies, ever so lightly, were pressed together. "Really?" He asked, cupping her chin and rising it a little, "And what do you plan on doin', _mon coeur_?"

Her lips parted slightly, but she did not respond. She stared hard into his cloudy red eyes, feeling herself want to hug him.

Feeling a similar need, Remy quickly set his hand on the small of her back and moved forward, capturing her lips with his. "I'm sorry." He whispered against her lips as he broke the kiss. "For everythin'."

"I know." She whispered as she felt his hand slip up the back of her shirt. Right as her lips found his, the door busted open and entered John.

"John—knock!" Remy ordered, snapping at his beloved Australian friend.

Rolling his eyes and sighing heavily, Pyro left the room, shutting the door behind him. Then a prompt knocking was heard.

"If someone isn't tryin' to kill us, someone is disturbin' us." Remy mumbled, oblivious to a hurt look Rogue was giving him, "Come in!" He yelled, sounding aggravated as he unwillingly made himself part from his girlfriend.

"No need to break apart for me." John stated with a wide smile after he walked in, his arms folded over his chest. "I just wanted to apologize to my dear Roguey-poo and tell 'er I appreciate what she did for Goldie."

Remy's looked at Rogue with an appraising look and his brows arched up. He would ask her later. "John." He cleared his throat, "Where were you today?"

His eyes darkened, "Why?"

"_Bonjour mes amis_. Dinner is waitin'." Belladonna came up behind John; a smile was planted on her face.

"You made dinner?" Remy asked.

Bella waved her hand at him, "Hell no. I ordered it."

Remy placed his hand on Rogue's shoulder and squeezed it as they walked out of the room.

'_It's all right and no problem_.' A knot formed in Rogue's stomach as she telepathically sent a message to John, who was walking in front of her.

Blinking, he glanced behind his shoulder at her, _'It's right under your nose._' He sent to her, looking straight ahead.

The knot in Rogue's stomach tightened. What did John know that she didn't? And why wasn't he just being straight forward with her?

--

How could he even think about sleeping?

It was nearing 3 A.M. and Remy lay in his bed, clad in only boxers. A set of Bicycle brand cards were set by his pillow as a 'just in case.'

'_I don't why Rogue wouldn't sleep in here.' _His body was tensed up, for he listened for even the littlest sound. '_She nearly got ran over by a car an' she doesn't even care._' A grunt erupted from his throat, '_Then again, I didn't care much about nearly gettin' shot. It's time to start carin'. 'Specially when someone messes with my girl_.'

That's when he heard the creaking of floorboards from outside his door, in the hallway. Remy sat up immediately, grabbing his cards. In quiet steps, he walked over to his door, keeping to the side.

His eyes burned brightly as the door slowly opened. Dropping the cards, he grabbed the handle, threw the door open and tackled the intruder into the hallway, pinning them beneath him.

"Remy—what the hell!"

"Rogue?" He blinked, startled.

"No, it's Pepe LePew's striped cat, Gumbo!"

A new voice joined the two, "Could you two please keep it to the bedroom?" John was now standing in the doorway, his tired eyes wide. Yawning, he scratched his stomach.

"What _are_ you two doin'?" Belladonna stood in the doorway of her room; her pink robe was wrapped tightly around her. There was a total look of disgust written on her face. "They did make beds for a reason—y'know, other than to sleep on them."

"Remy attacked me." Rogue admitted bitterly as she shifted under the shocked Cajun's body weight.

Bella's brows arched up, a cunning smirk on her face, "A little frisky, are we, Gambit?"

John's eyes flashed, "I'm sure my bloody mate here has a damn good reason for why he's pinnin' our Roguey to the ground at 3 A.M." He glanced down at the Southerners, silently saying 'help me out here, mate.'

Sitting up, Remy deliberately saddling Rogue, "I thought she was an intruder. The other day, I was shot at an' someone nearly ran over Rogue. Things just ain't right." He slowly got off Rogue and then helped her to her feet, "Sorry Ro'." He apologized, lifting her bare hand up to his lips. He kissed the top of her hand and then offered her his apologetic smirk.

"S'all right." She mumbled, her face getting warm, "I jus' wanted to, uh, check up on you."

"Aww." Bella cooed sarcastically, "You both care about each other; how sweet. Can we go back to bed now? I need my beauty sleep."

"Then why don't you fall into a coma," Rogue immediately snapped, glancing behind her shoulder at the blonde, "—maybe then you'll wake up and see a goddamn difference."

John whistled. Turning around on his heel, he walked back into his room, gently shutting the door behind him.

"Gee, someone needs to be put down for a nap." Bella snapped right back, anger flashed in her eyes, "_Permanently_."

"Glad you agree," Rogue shot back in a beat, "Why don't you go lay down? We'll be there in a minute with a shotgun to help you sleep better."

"Cut it out you two." Remy cut in, wrapping an arm around Rogue's shoulders so he'd have a grip on her if she went lunging at Belladonna. "You're both adults, start actin' like it."

Rogue rolled her eyes, jerking her shoulders so his arm would fall—it didn't. "Sorry we can't be like you, _Mistah mature adult_." She poked his side, "You're the one to talk."

Remy, however, just stared at Bella. "Had a nice conversation with your father, Bella." He stated, his voice low. "He seems to say the opposite 'bout you."

"Yeah, well, we ain't exactly on speakin' terms. Now, good night." She turned around, muttering 'use protection,' behind her shoulder.

Rogue glared at the doorway of Bella's room as the door shut. "Seems like both Bella and John are havin' mood swings." She whispered, turning to her boyfriend, "Somethin' fishy is goin' on an' I'm goin' to find out what." She reached, giving him a soft kiss on the side of his mouth, "Even if it means to do a little mental diggin' or some.." She glanced down at her attire; a white t-shirt and shorts, "—absorbin'."

"Thought you said you didn't want to absorb Bella," Remy stated, pulling Rogue inside his room.

"Changed my mind." Rogue stated defensively, "Ain't I allowed to change my own mind?"

Remy stared at her, smiling sheepishly. She had crossed her arms over her chest and with her shaggy styled hair he thought she looked absolutely positively adorable. "Yeah." He mumbled, "You are."

"What are you thinkin' 'bout?" That nearly made his smile widen; knowing Rogue could just look at him and know he was in deep thought. Although, his blank look and the dribble of drool running down his chin might've given it away.

"I was thinkin'.. I love you.."

"Mm, really? So you just realized that?" Dramatically, her arms fell limply to her sides and she stared at him like he had just confessed it was him who had stolen the last Milano cookie.

"Shush, you know I've loved you and always will."

"Even when I'm all wrinkled an' have to tuck my boobs into my socks?" She asked, protectively folding her arms over her chest.

"Will you love me when I can't keep it up for you longer than a minute?"

"Like that'll ever happen." Blowing a curl of white out from her face, she rolled her eyes.

Remy smirked at her comment. He tucked back the ringlet of free hair when it fell back into place in front her eyes, behind her ear. "Do you want to grow old with me?"

"Hell no. As soon as you start lackin' in looks an' such, I'm goin' for someone younger." She stuck her tongue out at him, "I'll absorb Logan an' I'll stay young while ya whither away." As if to demonstrate, she parts her folded arms, and wiggled her fingers in front of his face.

Remy's face deadpanned. "Maybe we should break up now then." When Rogue's face deadpanned, he cracked a smile, "I'm kiddin', Ro'."

"Me too." She offered him a shy smile. "You're the only guy for me, Swamp rat. I can't replace ya."

With hesitation he said, "An' if you really do want kids, I think we could try it—in a few years. _Long_ years. When we're _very_ old and _very_ moldy."

"When is that?"

"Twenty-nine," He answered smugly, knowing it was only a several years ahead of them, "By thirty, we're over the hill." Short life expectancy, huh?

"Small hill, huh?" She asked, slightly amused by this. "At the rate we're goin' we ain't goin' to get to the top of the hill." Stepping in closer towards him, she played with the elastic band of his boxers. One little tug and they would drop like bowling balls from a four-story building.

He suddenly placed his hands around her wrists, stopping her. "Considerin' we're both supposed to be dead right now—we're pretty damn calm and carefree." When he said 'carefree' he had gently squeezed his grasp on her wrists.

"Yeah," Rogue agreed, her facial expression solemn, "For all we know, we're bein' watched right now.." Without moving her head, she moved her eyeballs back and forth. She coolly played off a paranoid look.

"If' it's not the Rippers, then who can it be?" Remy asked, ignoring Rogue's subtle sarcasm and lack of interest in how someone wanted them dead. He released her wrists, "It has to be someone who knows you too.."

"It's right under your nose." Rogue stated, receiving an appraising look from him. Shrugging she mumbled, "Well, it's right under our nose accordin' to John."

"You think its John?" Remy asked, scratching the back of his head, "I didn't even think he could drive or know how to shoot a gun."

Rogue shook her head, "I think he knows who it is."

"Why wouldn't he come right out an' tell us?"

"Because he's a psychopath?" Rogue tried, rolling her eyes. "Or maybe because the person we're lookin' for is right in this house. It _has_ to be Bella." With a sigh, she shook her head and put a hand up, motioning for him not to say anything, "But she was here with me when you were.. but—" She stopped in mid-sentence, feeling confused none less. "Maybe it is best if we just leave."

"Sorry Ro' but I ain't runnin' away. I want to find out who's doin' this." Sighing, he sat down. Feeling more exhausted than ever, he decided to get some sleep and then decide what to do the following morning, "C'mon Ro'. Lets just get some sleep."

"You're kiddin' right?" Rogue asked, raising her voice a little as she raised her brows, giving him a skeptical look. "You expect me to _sleep_? I want to know what Marius said to you."

"I want—no need—some sleep." He laid back, his arms stretched out. "Besides, it's not like you can absorb information from me." Those were not the best choice of words. Remy sucked out air sharply as he left his body being lifted off the bed. "Whoa!" He cried out. He lifted his head to see her standing two feet away with her arm out scratched, her palm facing up and her fingers straight. Remy wheezed as he floated even higher, against his own free will. How tragic.

"I can recall the precise time I absorbed Jean Grey. Jean Grey, _telepathic_; telekinetic." Rogue spoke calmly, her voice low. "Don't challenge me, _Gambit_." Her brows arched up when she emphasized on his codename.

"Okay—okay—I won't. Jus' put me down, will ya?" He asked, exasperated. "An' lightly---" He began racking his brain for loopholes—"An _on_ the bed, _cherie_."

"I want you to listen to me."

"I'm all ears."

"I think we should go to John. He obviously knows somethin'."

"Then go read 'is mind. You don't need _my_ permission."

"I'm lucky enough to send him messages telepathically." She stated, placing her other hand on her hip, "His mind is too much of a jungle for me to actually read it."

"Bella." He dropped a foot, back onto his place on the bed. "_Fou belle femme_." He mumbled, immediately getting to his feet. "Somethin' doesn't add up right with her."

"Nothin' adds up right with 'er."

"I thought you liked her?" Remy asked, slightly feeling confused, "She sure has changed since we got here. I don't know." He sounded unsure of himself.

Licking her lips, Rogue declared, "You don't want to believe it's her."

He folded his arms over his chest, offended. "I just don't think—"

"Belladonna is a trained _assassin_." Taking a step forward, Rogue tapped gently on his forehead. Placing her palm against his cheek, she concentrated hard. She pulled away after feeling what felt like waves static electricity run across her bare palm. "I really _can't_ absorb you." She realized, her voice small.

"Actually, you just absorbed me fully into your head and none of this is real." Her eyes only widened. "_Merde_—I'm kiddin' Ro'. This jus' all seems like a dream."

"Nightmare." She corrected, her voice cold. "An' I'm ready to escape from reality." Yawning, she stretched out her arms, receiving a smirk from her darling Cajun.

"Life is good." He admitted, giving her a look over. "An' tomorrow—" A bare finger was pressed up against his lips, shutting him up.

"Don't go through life thinkin' about _tomorrow_."

"But—"

"Trust me on this one."

And so he did.

Her eyes fluttered as she leaned against him, "I have a plan.."

--

Oblivious to the Southerner's in the room over a gun was being loaded.

--

_Confused?_

_I bet!_


	8. Remylicious 8

- Don't read any further. However, if you do read, expect a lame ending that way you're not too disappointed. 

-

John hummed to himself, his eyes closed. He was lying on his bed, over the covers, his arms folded behind his head, his legs stretched out.

Circling his bed were candles, burning brightly. Every so often he would open his eyes a little, enjoying the vision of the blurred lights surrounding them. Candles were set up on plastic Pringle lids on the dresser and the two nightstands on both sides of his bed.

The bulbs of fire danced together, in a pattern. When his eyes would slowly open, the bulbs would grow larger, screaming out to him, _reaching_ out to him.

There was something lurking through his very own thoughts, not giving him a moments rest.

"Bloody hell!" He hissed, annoyed, jerking up, a scowl was present on his face. "Why were people given emotions?" He pondered out loud, scratching his chin with thoughtfulness. "Sure as hell beats me." He answered himself with a shrug.

The silence in the room became stale and awkward for the pyromaniac. Guilt was eating away at him. The flames of the candles expanded as he brought his knees up to his chest and nervously bit down on his bland fingernails.

"I can't let this go on any longer." He decided, his voice low as a whisper. "I just _can't_." Sighing, he jerked back with all his weight and out stretched his arms and legs. The springs groaned from the sudden force of weight. "Things were so much easier when I wasn't even trusted with a plastic knife." He paused, "Actually, I don't think I'm allowed to—" His body tensed up as he heard the footsteps on the roof. His pulse raced. "I should have told them. Oh, I just should have at least hinted better." Beads of perspiration began to pop out along his forehead as he sat back up, a nervous anxiety boiled up within him. "Those stupid Southerners. I could have painted a picture and they wouldn't have figured it out." Sighing, he openly admitted, "Then again, I can only draw stick figures.." And damn good ones at that.

The window suddenly opened and in slid a body, "I told you to leave the window open." A familiar feminine voice snapped, "I nearly killed myself trying to open the window."

He turned his head, now concentrating hard on the candle nearest to him. The woman walked over to the side of the bed, sitting down next to him. "Too bad." He mumbled, narrowing his eyes.

"Why so much hatred?" She asked, smirking, for all this amused her.

"Sorry if I don't take well to threats."

"You said somethin', didn't you?" She grabbed him roughly, tightly cupping the side of his face. She turned his head forcefully so that he was facing her.

"I didn't say anythin', _Bella._" He spat at her, rolling his eyes.

"You little wretched runt." She snapped, pushing him down. Her hand moved down, clutching his throat, her long sharp fingernails dug into his flesh. "What did you say? I can see it in your eyes." The tips of her red hair lightly swayed against his chest when she leaned down, her face close to his.

"Nothin'!" He gasped as her grip on his neck tightened. "_Honest_!"

"I don't trust you." She stated firmly, her grip now was loosened. "I would add a dramatic 'any farther than I can throw you' but I could probably do so, you weak boy." She slowly brought back her arm, "But I still don't trust you."

"Oh yeah and I just have barrels of trust with you, _Mystique_." His emerald green eyes flashed and followed her as she stood up. "And if you were more careful, I wouldn't have found out it was _you_."

The blue skinned woman snarled at him, "Shut up. I told you then and I'll remind you now—so much as a peep from you and I will harm the three of you. Don't think I'm kidding—"

"Like you would harm Rogue." John laughed quietly, sitting up. The fire to the candles grew smaller, which earned a glare from Mystique. "Tryin' to kill her boyfriend ain't exactly goin' to make her like you any more than she does now."

"I'm saving her."

"Who do you think you are? Jesus? Napoleon? Hitler? _Superman_?"

Mystique continued to glare at the younger male. "I don't know what that blonde bimbo sees in you."

"A handsome Australian!" It had been days ago when John walked in on Bella—only to see Belladonna with Mystique's head. Mystique was going to 'do away with him' but Bella stopped her, and then blushed and said that Remy would get suspicious if his friend disappeared too. Although he wasn't entirely sure of what the two crazy women were up to, he knew both just wanted his darling Gambit dead. "Bella nearly ran over Rogue."

"It wasn't Bella; it was me."

"Wow, you really are doin' a great job of "_savin'_" 'er, dog!" His voice rose, and the flames of the candles shot up nearly a foot and then went back to normal size.

"Shh!" Mystique hissed, "And it was an accident, you fool. She walked out of nowhere."

"She walked off the sidewalk into the bloody street. She's _my_ Super Absorbant Gal, Mystique. And Remy is my little knife-in-toaster. I won't let you do any harm to them." With those words, he got off the bed and stood up. "I haven't been myself lately." He declared as the flames from the candles shot up two feet in the air, "But Johnny's home."

She just narrowed her eyes at him; anger flowed through her veins. "_Quiet you_." She jeered through clenched teeth. Her mouth opened to snap at him some more, but an explosion in the hallway interrupted her, making the door rattle.

With tension high in the air, John quickly scrambled over to the door, yanking it open, a slight buzz echoed in his ears. He looked down the hallway, his sight uncertain from debris and dust in the air. "Do I want to know?" He asked himself weakly as he took a step outside his room, unsure of what to say.

"_Merde_! That was one _hell_ of an explosion!"

The Australian's face deadpanned.

-

Several minutes earlier… 

Remy sat on his bed, sinking into the pillows that were propped up behind him, and a sleeping Rogue was settled in his arms. He glanced down at her wondering how on earth she could sleep as if she didn't have a care in the world. Her even breathing nearly made him want to doze off—but he reminded himself of what he had gotten himself into when he agreed to return to his so called home.

Rogue then said something incoherently, stirring in her sleep as she shifted her position. She mumbled something louder before turning around onto her back, which made Remy wince, seeing as how she was still lying _on_ him.

A creak was suddenly heard outside their bedroom window making Remy sit up straighter, and Rogue wake up. Before she could make a sound, he clasped his hand over her mouth, making a soft 'shh' sound between his teeth. His body tensed up as he listened quietly for another sound, but merely heard the branches of a tree sway against the window.

"What is it?" Rogue asked sheepishly as he pulled himself out from under her and stood up, "What did you hear, Swamp rat?" She ordered, her voice a low grumble. "Is it time?" She furrowed her brows at him, her voice lower. She dared not to say anything else as she watched his cautious moves, and took notice in his quiet steps towards the door. She clicked her tongue, impressed.

When Remy turned and looked at her, Rogue almost expected him to scold her but instead he made a hand gesture for her to come to him. And she did, more noisily than ever. He shot her a look, to which she shot him one back.

"Are you ready?" He asked himself more than her, placing a hand on her shoulder. His body tensed up and when he was about to grab the doorknob, Rogue grabbed the hand on her shoulder and phased them through the door. "_Shh_." She pressed her index finger against her lips and elbowed him.

Letting go of his hand, Rogue slowly walked towards Bella's bedroom, the floorboards squeaking under her weight. She mentally cursed, looking back at Remy, who rolled his eyes at her.

"You can fly _cherie_." He reminded her, remembering she had absorbed Jean Grey.

"I know _that_." Rogue snapped at him, defensively, in a low whisper, "I don't need your stinkin' reminder of who I have in my head, all right?"

Well, If Remy didn't know better, Rogue was a tad bit cranky. "Good. Stop arguin' and go on with it." Rogue had to absorb Belladonna; even though Remy wasn't so sure he wanted that anymore. But after Rogue mentioned the absence of his family and how she could easily be lying, he couldn't take chances.

"I am _not_ arguin'!"

"What is goin' on out here?" The door flew open and Belladonna stepped out, making a face when she saw Rogue standing in front of her. Remy immediately drew a card from his pocket, charging it. "What the hell—" Without even thinking, Rogue reached up, shutting her eyes, and Bella slapped her arm away, "What the hell do you think you're doin'?" She demanded, angrily, shoving Rogue away from her, "Get away from me."

Remy felt how nervous and anxious Bella suddenly came and narrowed his eyes at her, knowing that something definitely wasn't right. Took him long enough, eh? It was like the sun came shining through the mass of clouds for him. "Do it, Rogue." He ordered her, evenly. And she did—holding Belladonna still with telekinesis, Rogue absorbed her and before Remy could even blink, Bella was unconscious on the ground, and Rogue stumbled hard into him, knocking his charged card out of his hand.

-

"That's _it_! All you bloody blokes are just _crazy_!" John stood in the doorway of the room, staring at the two Southerners in sheer puzzlement. Reluctantly, he glanced behind him to see Mystique no longer standing there, but a snake resembling his dear Goldie slithering away on his bed. Taking a few cautious steps, he saw what all the excitement was—and his jaw dropped.

Remy coughed, nodding in agreement, but his attention was more focused on a dazed Rogue. Rogue just stared down at Bella's prone body, and then back at John.

"What? _I_ didn't kill her." Rogue snapped, rolling her eyes, "Y'all have been pullin' a doozey on Remy an' myself. Mystique.. Belladonna.. _John_."

"Hey now, cherry. I ain't have nothin' to do with anythin'." Defensively, John folded his arms across his chest, "I tried tellin' you that—_Ahhhh_! Friggin' crikey!" The Australian let out a howl, stumbling forward, bent over. He glanced up at his fellow teammates. Gawking, he hissed, "The bloody bitch bit me!" He spun around on one foot, the other one lifted up a little, only to catch the sight of a bird flying out his bedroom window. "She knows, Mystique!" He shouted out to her, rage in his voice, "Next time I see you, you're goin' to become a charcoaled marshmallow, dog!"

Rogue, who felt confused and angry at that given moment, set her hand on Remy's shoulder, "Your family—the Ripper's are heldin' 'em at their old place." She told him, her voice soft. A red faced John glanced behind his shoulder at them, biting down on his lower lip in pain. "Everything we were told was a lie." Somehow, that wasn't too surprising.

"I know." Remy told her, looking away from her, "I jus' had to find out what was really goin' on down here Rogue." He turned to Pyro, "Watch psychopathic blonde, would you? And—dammit, John. Are you okay?"

"I'm alive." John said, shrugging his shoulders. He walked forward, limping, "Go do what you have to do. I'll be here."

But when they got back, Belladonna wouldn't be there. But when they got back, John would just be sitting in a room, in the darkest corner, with the sorriest looking eyes imaginable. But when they got back, they realized they have had it.

It was time to let go.

-

"What exactly happened?" Logan had asked much later, after getting a phone call from a certain pyromaniac, who sounded like his flame had gone out. John shrugged his shoulders at Logan, not knowing how to explain his latest adventure. Hunched over, with his hands shoved into his pockets, he limped forward, feeling Logan's eyes on him. "Where's Stripes and Gumbo?" The short Canadian demanded, impatiently.

"They're gone." John answered him finally. He exhaled slowly, recoiling when Wolverine took a step forward. "They're," He winced, looking away from Logan, who demanded to know what he meant, waiting to feel his claw pierce through him, "—just gone."

Silence filled the air, along with tension. Logan stood there, his brow scrunched up; he didn't know what to say. He did, however, know he wasn't leaving without the two Southerners.

"It was their choice." The pyromaniac spoke up, smiling faintly, "And I don't think it's worth it for you to try to sniff out those crazy accented fruit loops." He cleared this throat, "Also, mate, I had enough of this place. I'm headin' back to the lucky country." Needless to say, John was as mad as a cut snake. Something did click in him, and he slapped Logan's back, feeling chirpy. "And boy do I have a story for you!"

-

I'm sorry but I'm done with this. I just opened this and realized I'm never going to find a way to end this the way I want. This sequel was a mistake.


End file.
